Many special dishes were created in Queen Victoria’s honor during her 64-year reign.  Among them was Cherries Jubilee, which was prepared for her Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1897.  This Victorian Jubilee Cake, which uses Cherries Jubilee as a filling, is a truly fancy dessert in the grand Victorian manner.  This gracious recipe is from “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook.”

Cake Ingredients
5 eggs
¼ cup sugar
1tbls lemon juice
¾ cup sugar
1 cup flour
¼ tsp salt
 

Cream-Cheese Filling
8 oz. Cream cheese softened
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. Cherry jelly
¼ tsp almond extract
 

Cherries Jubilee Filling
1 pt. pitted black cherries
½ cup claret
1 cup or less sugar (to taste)
3 tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp lemon juice
 

Cooking Instructions

1. To Make The Cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Beat the egg whites until they stand up in soft peaks.  Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar a tablespoon at a time.  Without washing the beater, beat the eggs yolks with the lemon juice until thick and lemon-colored.  Gradually beat in ¾ cup of sugar.  Pour the yolk over the beaten egg whites an fold together gently with a spoon or spatula until will blended.  Shift the flour and salt together and fold into the egg mixture.  Spoon the batter into two unbuttered 9-inch layer pans.  Cut through the batter gently server times to break any large air bubbles.  Bake about 30 minutes.  Test by pressing lightly with a finger.  If the cake springs back, it is done.  Invert on a wire rack and cool.

2. To Make Cream Cheese Filling:  Cream the sugar and cream cheese together; add remaining ingredients and beat until thick.

3. To Make Cherries Jubilee Filling:  Dissolve the sugar in the claret and pour over the cherries.  Let stand for several hours.  In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of the cherry juice.  Heat the cherries in a saucepan to the boiling point.  Lower heat and stir in cornstarch mixture.  Simmer, stirring constantly until thickened.  Remove from heat, add spices and lemon juice and allow to cool.

4. To Assemble The Cake:  Place one layer of sponge cake on a cake platter and spread a layer of cream filling about 3 inches wide around the perimeter of the top of the cake.  Cut out the center (in a heart shape if you are using heart-shaped pans) of the other layer, leaving a 3-inch border.  Put aside the center piece you cut out.  Place the layer with the cut-out center on top of the other and press down to make the layers stick together.  Decorate by placing a paper doily on top of the cake and shifting confectioners’ sugar over the doily.  Carefully remove the doily and fill the center of the cake with the Cherries Jubilee filling.
 

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