INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8- by 2-inch square
cake pans and line with parchment paper. Cream together the butter  and
sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time,
beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, salt, and
baking powder twice. Add to egg mixture, alternating with milk,
starting and ending with flour. Add vanilla and stir just until
thoroughly blended. Gently fold in the zest. Pour the batter into
prepared pans and bake for 90 minutes; cakes are done when a tester
inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean. Let cool in pans
for about 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack, remove parchment,  and
cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare Meringue Buttercream: In a  small
saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 1/3 cup water to a  boil.
Boil until syrup reaches soft-ball stage (238 degrees on a  candy
thermometer). Meanwhile, beat egg whites on low until foamy.  Add cream
of tartar; beat on medium-high until stiff but not dry.  With mixer
running, pour syrup into egg whites in a steady stream,  and beat on
high speed until completely cool, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Meanwhile,
cream butter in a separate bowl to soften. Beat in butter  gradually.
Add vanilla, beat 2 to 3 minutes, until frosting is smooth  and
spreadable. If it looks curdled during the beating process,  continue
beating until smooth. Once the cakes have cooled, trim each  so that
they are level and even. Each trimmed cake should be about 2  inches
high. Brush the top and sides of each cake with a pastry brush  to
remove crumbs. The bottom tier will need a sturdy base. Trace a  6-inch
square onto a piece of foam board 3/16-inch thick (available  from art
supply stores). Cut out the square with a utility knife. Cut  one cake
into a 6- by 6-inch square. Set aside, reserving the  leftover cake for
another use. Place cake on foam board. Cut the  second cake into 2
smaller squares, one 3 3/4- by 3 3/4-inches and  the second into a
square 2 1/4- by 2 1/4-inches. Once again, reserve  the leftover cake
for another use. Brush the top and sides of each  cake to remove
crumbs. Using an offset spatula, ice top of the  6-inch-square cake
with buttercream to give the tier a "crumb coat,"  a thin layer of
icing that seals the cake. Start from the center and  work out, making
sure to push the buttercream over the sides of the  cake. Smooth the
icing, and chill in the refrigerator to set until  smooth to the touch,
about 30 minutes to one hour, until it doesn't  stick when you touch
it. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Assemble  the cake by placing the
tiers on top of one another in descending  order of size. Once
assembled, give the tiers a final coat of  buttercream. Use an offset
spatula to smooth the icing. (Dipping the  offset spatula in warm
water, then wiping it off again, will make a  clean finished edge.)
Reserve extra buttercream for decorating. Chill  in the refrigerator to
set the icing, about 30 minutes to 1 hour.  Once the final coat sets,
fill a pastry bag with the reserved  buttercream; fit with a round #3
pastry tip and pipe a decorative  border along the edges of each tier.
Makes 1 three-tiered cake.  Source: "Martha Stewart Living Weddings,
Winter/Spring 1998 special  issue" S(Formatted for MC5): "by Lynn
Thomas -  Lynn_Thomas@prodigy.net" Yield: "1 three-tiered cake"  Per
serving: 16469 Calories (kcal); 1014g Total Fat; (54% calories  from
fat); 202g Protein; 1676g Carbohydrate; 5542mg Cholesterol;  9472mg
Sodium Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 15 Lean Meat; 0  Vegetable; 0
Fruit; 194 Fat; 109 1/2 Other Carbohydrates  Recipe by: Martha Stewart
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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 17322
Calories From Fat: 8942
Total Fat: 1015.6g
Cholesterol: 5454mg
Sodium: 10105.4mg
Potassium: 3599.8mg
Carbohydrates: 1848.7g
Fiber: 19.1g
Sugar: 983.3g
Protein: 234.2g