Celebration Cake

For the cake:

Ingredients:

100g butter, melted & cooled, plus more for pans

1 1/2 c. cake flour, plus more for pans

9 large eggs, room temperature, separated

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. bourbon

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 12-by-17 inch rimmed backing sheets. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment and flour pans, tapping out excess flour.

2. Whisk together egg yolks and 1 c. sugar in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick enough to form a ribbon that dissolves onto itself, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla, bourbon, and salt; transfer to a large bowl.

3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 c. sugar and beat on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold one third of egg whites into yolks, then gently fold the remaining whites. Sift flour over top and gently start to fold in. When nearly all is folded in, pour melted butter down side of bowl and fold just until incorporated and smooth.

4. Divide batter among pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in centers come out clean, about 15 minutes, rotating and switching racks halfway through. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

For the topping and filling:

Ingredients:

50 g apricot jam

250 g glacé or dried fruits, cut into smaller pieces

pecans

walnuts

almonds

Directions:

1. Place the apricot jam in a small pan with a splash of water and simmer on a low heat, then remove from heat and leave to cool a little.

2. Sandwich the layers of the cake with the fruit and jam mixture. Reserve enough for the top.

3. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the cake with jam and arrange your fruit on top, starting with the bigger pieces, dotting the smaller fruits and nuts in and around the gaps. Finish the cake by brushing everything with a final coat of the apricot glaze to give it a lovely gloss.

The final touch:

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment and mix on medium speed until smooth.

3. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream.

4. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a couple of times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

5. Cover the side of the cake with the cream frosting.

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