Recipe: Watts Tea Room Filled Sunshine Cake with French Custard Filling and Boiled Frosting

Dear Kathy,
I think this may be the recipe. I also have a recipe from Lee Bailey that is nearly identical except that he adds 1t of cinnamon to the cake batter.

WATTS TEA ROOM FILLED SUNSHINE CAKE

9 eggs, separated
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar (divided)
1 cup cake flour (sifted three times)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
French custard filling (see recipe)
Boiled frosting (see recipe)
Grated rind of 2 large oranges for garnish

TO MAKE CAKE:
Beat together egg yolks, water and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour gradually, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In metal bowl, whip egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until whites are stiff. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat just until peaks begin. Fold into batter. Pour batter into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or until light brown. When done, remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare French custard filling and boiled frosting.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Carefully cut cooled cake into three layers. Fill between layers with French custard, then frost top and sides with boiled frosting. Grate orange rind over top of cake.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

FRENCH CUSTARD FILLING:
4 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Combine egg yolks, powdered sugar and milk in top of double boiler. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and coats the back of spoon; stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature. Add vanilla.

In medium bowl, cream butter thoroughly. Slowly add cooled custard to butter mixture, beating well.

BOILED FROSTING:
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 egg whites (see note)
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar and water and boil just until syrup spins a thread, (220 degrees on a candy thermometer.) In another bowl, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Very slowly drizzle hot syrup into beaten egg whites with electric mixer mixing at medium speed. Beat constantly until frosting stands in stiff peaks and is of spreading consistency. Add vanilla and beat well.

Note: Though the risk of salmonella is smaller from uncooked egg whites than from the yolks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends against using them to be absolutely sure - particularly for the very young, the elderly, pregnant women and people with serious illnesses or weakened immune systems. Reconstituted powdered egg whites can be used instead.