Recipe: Grandma Ponder's Lightning Rod Cake (Coconut Cake with Lemon Filling)

GRANDMA PONDER'S LIGHTNING ROD CAKE

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups sifted cake flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
Lemon Filling (recipe follows)
Seven Minute Icing with Coconut (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

Cream butter. Add sugar gradually, creaming until light. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until fluffy; set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition. Beat 1 minute. Place in prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Spread lemon filling between layers of cake. Spread Seven Minute Icing over cake. Press coconut into icing.

LEMON FILLING

3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Dash of salt
3/4 cup water
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 Tbsp. butter

Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Add 3/4 cup water, egg yolks and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat; add lemon peel and butter. Cool.

SEVEN-MINUTE ICING WITH COCONUT

2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp. light corn syrup (or 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar)
1/3 cup cold water
Dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 can coconut (about 1 1/3 cups)

Place all ingredients except vanilla in top of double boiler (don't place over water); beat 1/2 minute at low speed with electric mixer to blend. Place pot over but not touching boiling water. Cook, beating constantly, until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes (do not overcook). Remove from water; add vanilla; beat until spreading consistency, about 2 minutes.

Makes 1 (9-inch, 2-layer) cake
Source: From the Heart of Ponder Country by Judy Daniels Wiggins