Source: The White House Cook Book (1887)
Creaming butter and caster sugar together is the foundation here — you're aerating the fat to trap tiny air bubbles that will expand in the heat and give the cake its tender crumb. Work them for a full 3–4 minutes at medium-high speed until the mixture is pale, almost white, and noticeably lighter in texture. This isn't optional padding; skip it and you'll have a dense, tight cake.
Beat the egg yolks in separately — this matters because yolks alone emulsify into the fat more smoothly than whole eggs would. Add them one or two at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. Once incorporated, the batter should look smooth and homogeneous. The acid from the lemon or orange juice will denature the proteins in the eggs and milk later, tightening the crumb structure, so don't be alarmed by slight curdling when you combine them.
Dissolve the baking soda in the sweet milk — this generates carbon dioxide on contact, and you want that gas production happening in the batter itself, not sitting idle in a glass. Fold the sifted flour into the batter in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour). Use a spatula or wooden spoon; don't beat. Beating now will overdevelop the gluten and make the cake tough. Stir in the grated citrus rind and juice last — the zest oils won't degrade if added near the end.
Pour into a buttered cake tin and bake at 180°C for 35–45 minutes, depending on tin size and your oven's true temperature. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the surface springs back to a light touch. The top will be pale gold, not deep brown — overcolouring will dry it out. Allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
Frosting is not traditional to this formula; the citrus is the point. If you must dress it, a simple glace of icing sugar and juice will do.
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