Mary Todd Lincoln's Cake

For Cool's birthday and President's Day the picklets and I made Mary Todd Lincoln's Cake. Good enough for a President and good enough for us! It was delish! The almonds make all the difference.

The author of the article said it took her 4 hours beginning to end to make the cake but I found it took about half an hour to prepare then half an hour to bake. Of course I used a hand mixer and a stand mixer. But I still don't think it would take 4 hours.

Here is the recipe:

MARY TODD LINCOLN CAKE
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (Smart Balance)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 c. cake flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat and 1 1/4 cup white flour)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/3 cups milk
1 cup finely chopped almonds
6 egg whites - stiffly beaten

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Sift together cake flour and baking powder three times.
Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in almonds. Gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour into two greased and floured 9 x 11/2-inch round baking pans.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

WHITE FROSTING
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
dash salt
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla

Bring to boiling, sugar, water, cream of tartar and salt.
Boil until sugar dissolves. Put egg whites in mixing bowl.
Start beater and while egg whites are beating, very slowly add hot syrup.
Beat until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes.
Beat in vanilla for one more minute.