Sarah Polk’s Hickory Nut Cake

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup whole milk or half-and-half

1 cup chopped hickory nuts or pecans (I used pecans since hickory nuts are quite hard to come by!)

½ teaspoon pure almond extract (optional)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a Bundt pan.

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the butter is creamy – about one minute. Slowly add the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and creamy – about two minutes.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beat until combined. Set the bowl aside.

Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl and sift to combine everything together evenly. Set the bowl aside.

Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form – this generally takes about 4 minutes. Set the egg whites aside.

Stir the lemon juice into the milk.

Add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed just enough to combine.

Beat in the hickory nuts (or pecans) and if desired, the almond or vanilla extracts, on low speed until thoroughly combined.

By hand, fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, just until combined.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and place the pan in the oven.

Bake the cake until it is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, for about 55 to 60 minutes. Do the “toothpick check” to confirm that it’s done.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool for at least twenty minutes.

Run a knife around the edges of the pan, give the pan a gentle shake, then place the cake onto a baking rack to cool for about 30 minutes.

Slice and serve. You can serve plain or sprinkle confectioners sugar over the top.