Luci Baines Johnson's Wedding Cake

Cake: Cover raisins with brandy and let stand in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two 8-inch cake pans with greased paper and grease the sides.

Mix together flour with baking powder and salt; sift. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Gradually add sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites one at a time. Drain raisins; add to batter with pineapple, walnuts, and extracts. Add dry ingredients to batter a little at a time, beating after each addition; blend until smooth.

Pour cake batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks before frosting with seven-minute icing.

Seven-Minute Icing: In the top of a double boiler, mix together all ingredients except lemon extract. Cook over rapidly boiling water, beating constantly at high speed with an electric hand mixer, until stiff peaks form, for about 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon extract, and beat for another minute. Let cool slightly before icing cake (not too long, or icing will harden).

Recipe Source: The White House Family Cookbook by Henry Haller, White House Executive Chef