Lincoln's Almond Cake

2 1/4 c Sugar

1 c Butter

3 c Flour

1 tb Baking Powder

1 c Milk

1 c Almonds; blanch, chop

1 1/2 ts Vanilla or almond extract

6 Egg whites; beat with

1/2 ts Salt

Mrs. Lincoln owned a copy of "Directions for Cookery in its Verious Branches" by Miss Leslie, which was one of the most popular sources of recipes of the time. She consulted it often. One of Mrs. Lincoln's most enduring recipes is a delicious cake invented by Monsieur Giron, a Lexington, Kentucky, caterer, who created it in honor of the visit to that city in 1825 of his famous fellow Frenchman, Lafayette. The Todd family acquired the recipe and cherished it ever after, and it later became known as "Lincoln Almond Cake." The baking powder was added at a later date. Preheat oven to 350~. Cream together the sugar and butter. Sift together flour and baking powder three times; slowly add to the butter and sugar mixture alternately with milk, in small amounts at a time. Mix thoroughly. Add the chopped blanched almonds and vanilla to the mixture. Continue beating until thoroughly mixed. In a separate bowl, stiffly beat egg whites with salt. Gently fold them into the first mixture. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured angel food cake pan or bundt pan. Bake for approximately one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn the cake out on a wire rack and allow to cool upside down for a few minutes until you are able to gently remove the cake from the pan. Before serving, gently cut the cake with a serrated bread or cake knife to avoid tearing it.
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