- 2 3/4 cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 7 egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup crushed macaroon cookies
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds
- 12 candied cherries, quartered
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9 inch round layer cake pans.
- In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. In another small mixer bowl beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored; set aside.
- In large mixer bowl combine butter and sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks. With mixer at low speed add dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Divide evenly among prepared pans. Spread to edges.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make Seven Minute Frosting (see footnote). Remove one third of the Seven Minute Frosting and place it in a mixing bowl with the macaroon crumbs, pecans, almonds, cherries, lemon juice, and orange rind. Fold together until thoroughly blended. Use this mixture as the filling between the three cake layers, and use the remaining 2/3 of the frosting to cover the tops and sides of the cake.