----BUTTERCREAM FILLING----
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup ; water
6 egg yolks;
large
1 tablespoon rum
1 cup butter; no
margarine,unsalted
----PRALINE TOPPING----
2 tablespoon butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ;
water
1 cup almonds; blanched, sliced
----APRICOT GLAZE----
1/2 cup apricot jam
* Egg yolks must be beaten
into the cake one at a time so keep the yolks seperated from each
other.CAKE:
To prepare cake, cream butter and sugar until
very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a
time. Mix in lemon rind and 2 T rum. Sift baking powder and flour
together. Gently mix into the butter mixture. Beat egg whites until
stiff but not dry. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Pour
into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree
F. oven for about 60 minutes or until the cake tests done. Cool cake
in pan for 10 minutes adn then turn out on wire rack to cool
completely. Slice cake crosswise into 3 layers. Pour about 2 T of
rum over each layer.
Butter-Cream
Filling:
For butter-cream filling, boil sugar and
water to 238 degrees F. (soft ball stage). Beat egg yolks until very
light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes. While still beating the egg
yolks, add the sugar syrup in a thin stream. Beat 5 minutes more,
until very thick and doupled in bulk. Slowly beat in the rum. Beat
the butter in a small bowl until soft and light. Beat butter into
the egg mixture a little at a time. Continue beating until thick.
Chill until mixture can be spread. If mixture is too soft, beat in
additional butter.
PRALINE
TOPPING:
While butter-cream is cooking, spread 2 T
butter thickly in a 9 X 13-inch baking pan for praline topping. Then
in a 1-quart saucepan, boil sugar an water to 238 degrees F. (soft
ball stage). Stir in almonds; cook until mixture reaches 310 degrees
F. or until syrup carmelizes. Pour syrup into prepared baking pan.
When cool, break up praline and grind it in a blender for a few
seconds.
APRICOT GLAZE:
Finally heat
jam and press through a strainer or sieve to make apricot
glaze.
CAKE ASSEMBLY:
To assemble
cake, place bottom layer of cake on cake plate and spread with half
of the butter cream. Repeat with second layer. Place third layer on
top. Spread top and sides of cake with apricot glaze. Press praline
powder onto glaze. Any remianing butter cream can be used to
decorate the top of the cake.