Directions
Initial Preparations
Cut the dried apricots into chunks, and put them in a saucepan with a cup of water. Let
them soak for at least one hour. Then bring to the boil, and simmer for thirty to forty
minutes until they are tender. Put the stewed apricots into a blender or food processor,
and purée them until they are smooth. Then let them cool (if necessary in the
refrigerator).
Mixing the Batter
Put the ground hazelnuts, flour, and baking powder in a mixing bowl, along with a quartercupful
of the sugar.
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Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with another quartercupful of the sugar until
they are stiff.
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Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl with the remaining quartercupful of sugar until they are
thick and light in colour.
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Mix the dry ingredients with the egg yolks.
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Fold in the egg whites.
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Baking the Cake
Line a shallow 9" x 14" cake pan with aluminum foil. Butter the foil heavily, and dust
it with flour.
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Pour in the cake batter, and tilt the pan slightly in your hands till the batter is evenly
spread.
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Bake at 350°F for fifteen to twenty minutes.
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Remove the cake from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack (still in the pan).
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Sprinkle two tablespoonsful of icing sugar over the top of the cake.
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Turn the cake over onto a sheet of waxed paper, and carefully remove the aluminum foil.
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Making the Filling
Whip the cream until it is starting to thicken. Add the icing sugar, and continue to
beat the cream until it is very thick.
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Fold in the puréed apricots.
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The filling should be stiff in texture, like heavily whipped cream. If it is not, then
refrigerate it for fifteen minutes, and then beat it again.
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Assembling the Cake
Spread the filling on the cake. Roll the cake up along the width, so that the finished
cake is as long as the cake pan is wide. Then place the cake on a cake plate, with the
overlapped edge downwards, so that the cake will not be able to unroll itself.
Decorating the Cake
Whip three-quarters of a cup of whipping cream with a tablespoonful of icing sugar.
Pipe rosettes down the centre of the cake. Decorate the centre of each rosette with a
whole undamaged hazelnut.
Makes one large cake.
MCG FSW
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