Almond and Apricot Wedding Cake

adapted from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook
by sister Jane Houghton for wedding of her daughter in Kiel, Germany
via Katherine K. Kriken

serves 50

Cake:
1 1/2 cups slivered dried apricots
1 cup Cognac
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup unsalted butter
18 egg yolks, at room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Glaze:
1 cup apricot jam
3 tablespoons Cognac

Buttercream frosting:
2 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
6 egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract

To make the cake: Heat the apricots and Cognac in small saucepan to boiling, remove from heat, and let stand for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour (we lined pans with parchment) 3 cake pans, 12, 10, and 6 inches in diameter. Set aside. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until hot to touch. Remove from heat and let stand to cool slightly. Melt butter in another small pan, set aside to cool. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixer bowl until very light and thick, about 10 minutes. Gradually beat in the milk and vanilla.

Sift the flour and baking powder together. Gradually beat into egg yolk mixture at low speed, until thoroughly blended. Fold in the melted butter and then the apricots with Cognac and almonds.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake until cake has pulled away from the side of the pan and springs back when lightly touched in center, 30 to 50 minutes, depending on size of the layer. Cool each 10 minutes and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make the glaze: Heat apricot jam and Cognac in small saucepan until jam melts. Strain and brush each cake layer all over with the glaze. Cut 3 cardboard circles the same size as cake layers. Place each cake layer on its cardboard and assemble in a tier.

To make the buttercream: Heat 2 cups of the sugar and the water to boiling in heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. Continue to heat without stirring to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Beat egg whites in large mixer bowl until frothy. Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until peaks are stiff. Pour in boiling sugar syrup in thin, steady stream while beating at high speed. Beat until heat from the syrup has dissipated and bowl feels cool, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, then the com syrup and almond extract until blended.

Spread buttercream smoothly over cake. Pipe remaining buttercream decoratively on the cake, using pastry bag and several different tips. The cake can be assembled and decorated up to 2 days before serving.

Surround the base of cake with fresh and feathery ferns. Arrange lots of fresh spring or available flowers on the ferns. I suggest daisies, lilacs, tiny rosebuds, freesias, and lilies of the valley.

We tripled the original recipe. Results were still fantastic. Not a crumb remained.