Pine Nut Cake Recipe

-BUTTERCREAM-
2/3 c Sugar
3 Egg yolks
1 Stick butter, room
Temperature
2 tb Sherry (medium-sweet)
1 ts Vanilla
1 1/2 c Toasted pine nuts
1/2 c Warm strained apricot
Preserves
2 c Heavy cream whipped with 2
TB sugar

Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 10-inch
round cake pan, 2 inches deep. In a large mixing bowl lightly beat
egg yolks and gradually beat in 3/4 cup sugar. Add vanilla and
continue to beat for 2 minutes more, or until the mixture is thick, pale
yellow, and forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted.

In a separate bowl beat egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks.
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until stiff
peaks form. Scoop one-quarter of the whites onto the yolk mixture, sift
one-quarter of the flour over and delicately fold together until
partially blended. Add one-third of the remaining whites, sift one-third
of remaining flour over and delicately fold together until partially
blended. Add half of the remaining whites, sift half of the remaining flour
over, add half of the melted butter and delicately fold until partially
blended. Add remaining butter and delicately fold until egg whites
are no longer visible, but do not lose their volume.

Turn batter into prepared pan and smooth top, tilting the pan. Bake in
the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned, puffed
and edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from
oven and let cake stand in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a knife
around the edge, invert the pan to remove the cake, and reverse again onto a cake
rack, puffed side up. Cool for 2 hours.

Make the buttercream: In small saucepan heat sugar with 1/2 cup water,
stirring, until sugar dissolves. Place a candy thermometer in sugar
syrup and continue to cook, without stirring, until it registers 236
degrees F. Wash down any sugar crystals which form on the sides with a
pastry brush dipped in cold water. Meanwhile, on top of a double
boiler or in a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water,
beat egg yolks with an electric mixer until frothy. Slowly pour in
sugar syrup in a thin stream, continuing to beat until smooth. Remove
from heat and continue beating until completely cooled. Add butter, 1
a tablespoon at a time, beating until smooth and creamy. Beat in
vanilla and sherry. Cover tightly and chill until firm but still of
spreading consistency.

To assemble, slice the cake in half horizontally. Sprinkle cut sides of
both halves with remaining sherry. Spread buttercream on the bottom half,
sprinkle with 1/4 cup of pine nuts, and place the top cake half. Brush
the top of the cake with warm apricot preserves then add the rest of the pine nuts covering the top. Let the cake sit for I hour. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Yields
8 servings