Robert E. Lee Bundt

By MJH

The Robert E. Lee Cake was traditionally believed to be a favorite of the Civil War general who led the confederate troops in the Civil War, although this is difficult to confirm. Most sources date the first written version of Robert E. Lee Cake to 1879 and General Lee died in 1870. A reference in the book The Robert E. Lee Family Cooking and Housekeeping Book (1997) by Anne Carter Zimmer, suggests that a recipe for citrus layer cake was well-known in the Lee family but never written down.
1879 - In the cookbook, Housekeeping In Old Virginia; Contributions from Two Hundred and fifty of Virginia's Noted Housewives, Distinguished For Their Skill In The Culinary Art And Other Branches of Domestic Economy, Edited by Marion Cabell Tyree:"Robert E. Lee" Cake consisted of the following: Twelve eggs, their full weight in sugar, a half-weight in flour. Bake it in pans the thickness of jelly cakes. Take two pounds of nice "A" sugar, squeeze into it the juice of five oranges and three lemons together with the pulp; stir it in the sugar until perfectly smooth; then spread it on the cakes, as you would do jelly, putting one above another till the whole of the sugar is used up. spread a layer of it on top and on sides. - Mrs. G.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 teaspoons orange zest, divided
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
• Garnishes: fresh raspberries, gold-gilded cranberries and gooseberries, fresh mint sprigs

Details

Servings 12
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325°.
Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy.
Gradually add granulated sugar, beating at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition.
Stir in 2 tsp. orange zest, 1 tsp. lemon zest, and 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.
Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Whisk together powdered sugar, orange juice, and remaining 2 tsp. orange zest and 1 tsp. lemon zest until smooth.
Spoon over cake.

Garnish with fresh raspberries, gold-gilded cranberries, gooseberries and fresh mint sprigs