AUNT FANNY'S LIBERTY CAKE WITH LEMON ICING

FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup butter or margarine; softened
1 1/2 cups plus 2/3 cup sugar, divided use
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
6 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
FOR THE LEMON ICING:
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tbsp light cream (more if needed)
1 tbsp lemon juice, strained
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour three round (8-inch) layer-cake pans. Set aside.

Cream butter; gradually add 1 1/2 cups sugar and cream together until light; set aside.

Sift flour with baking soda and salt; set aside.

Combine buttermilk with lemon and almond extracts. Then alternately add sifted flour mixture to the creamed mixture in thirds with the buttermilk mixture. Beat well after each addition; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; add cream of tartar and remaining 2/3 cup sugar gradually, and continue beating until egg whites are stiff but not dry. Fold butter-flour mixture into beaten egg whites, working carefully so as not to lessen the volume of egg whites. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake 30 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven, let cool 10 minutes, then turn out of the pans onto wire rack to cool. When thoroughly cooled, fill and frost with the Lemon Icing.

TO MAKE THE LEMON ICING:
In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar and light cream, beating until a moderately thick icing is formed. Add lemon juice and lemon peel; stir to blend. If needed, add just enough additional cream to thin icing so that it will spread thinly and evenly. This recipe yields enough to fill and frost one three-layer cake.

Ice layers as you stack them together, and then lightly cover both top and side of the cake. Use immediately.

This recipe yields one 8-inch three-layer cake.
Adapted from Source: The Country Mothers Cookbook by Jane Watson Hopping