Rum Cake de Maison
Source: Good Housekeeping (circa 1969)

To be made the day before

2 Cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter or margarine
granulated sugar (3/4 cup) and (1/4 cup)
2 eggs,(separated)
1 teaspoon grated orange rind

1/2 cup orange juice
white rum (3 tablespoons) and (2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

WHIPPED-CREAM FILLING (below)*
CHOCOLATE FROSTING (below)**

1 1/2 cups coarsely-chopped California walnuts

DAY BEFORE SERVING CAKE:
1. Grease 2 (two) 9-inch layer-cake pans 1-1/2 inches deep: Cover bottoms with wax paper, cut round to fit.

(Start heating oven to 350 degrees F.)

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

3. With mixer at medium speed, beat butter until very soft and creamy; gradually beat in 3/4- cup sugar, then continue beating until light and fluffy. Now beat in egg yolks, one (1) at a time, then orange rind.

4. Combine orange juice with 3 tablespoons rum and extracts; add (alternately) with flour mixture to creamed mixture, while beating at low speed.

5. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks; gradually beat in 1/4-cup sugar, then continue beating to stiff peaks.

6. Fold batter into whites, then pour into pans. Bake 25 minutes or until top springs back when pressed gently with finger. Cool in pans on wire racks about 10 minutes, then remove from pans to finish cooling. Meanwhile, make WHIPPED-CREAM FILLING.

7. With long, sharp knife, split cooled layers horizontally to make four (4) layers in all. Sprinkle each layer with 2 tablespoons rum. On cake plate, put layers together using about 1-1/2 cups WHIPPED-CREAM FILLING between every 2 (two) layers. Refrigerate cake while making CHOCOLATE FROSTING. Use to frost sides and top of cake, then press walnuts into frosting all around sides of cake. Refrigerate cake until serving time--at least 18 HOURS.

Makes 16 luscious servings.

*WHIPPED-CREAM FILLING:
While cakes are cooling, place medium bowl and beaters in freezer until cold. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons UNFLAVORED GELATINE over 2 tablespoons COLD WATER; heat mixture over hot water until gelatin is dissolved; cool slightly. Then in cold bowl, beat 2 CUPS HEAVY CREAM with 1/2-cup CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR until thick; gradually beat in 1/3-cup WHITE RUM; then gradually beat in gelatin, beating until just stiff enough to hold its shape. Refrigerate.

**CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
In double boiler, over hot, NOT BOILING, water, melt 4 (four) squares UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE; remove from heat. With spoon or electric mixer, gradually beat in 1 cup CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR and 2 tablespoons HOT WATER. Then beat in 2 EGGS, (one at a time), and then 6 tablespoons SOFT BUTTER or MARGARINE, (2 T at a time); continue beating until smooth and lighter in color.

FOR A NEW LOOK:
Make 2 (two) 9-inch cake layers from a 1-pound, 2-1/2- to 3-1/4-ounce package yellow cake mix as label directs, substituting 1/2-cup orange juice for 1/2-cup of the water and adding 1 (one) teaspoon grated orange rind. Make WHIPPED-CREAM FILLING, then proceed as in step 7, above.