BAUMKUCHEN

Steps:

• 1. Be sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. Set oven to broil. Adjust wracks in your oven so that the wrack you will be using isn't too close to the heating unit of the oven.
• 2. Whip the egg whites in a large mixing bowl into peaks. Basically until it looks like whipped cream.
• 3. With a standing mixer or hand mixer, cream almond paste together with cream, about one tablespoon at a time. Fully incorporating each bit of cream before adding more.
• 4. Cream butter into almond paste mixture until it is very fluffy. Scrape down sides.
• 5. Beat sugar into batter until completely incorporated. Scrape down sides.
• 6. Beat in one egg yolk at a time.
• 7. Beat in vanilla extract.
• 8. In a separate large mixing bowl, sift flour together with cornstarch.
• 9. Add flour to the almond paste batter in thirds, completely incorporating the flour with each addition
• 10. Gentle fold the egg whites into the batter until completely incorporated.
• 11. Now for fun! Grease a 9 inch spring form pan and lay a parchment paper circle at its bottom.
• 12. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the batter evenly on the bottom on the pan. Side note: A trick for spreading batter evenly, simply let gravity do it for you. Put batter in your pan and tip your pan to the side and rotate until the entire area is coated. Super flat and super even that way.
• 13. Bake pan for 40 to 120 seconds, or until batter turns a nice golden color. The darker the layer the more visible it will be when you cut into the cake. But do NOT burn anything. Any burning will ruin the entire cake!
• 14. Every other layer of the cake will only be about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of batter. The first layer was more to provide a base and so the parchment wouldn't burn or curl.
• 15. Every 2 or 3 layers spread an even layer of preserve on the cake before pouring in more batter. It'll sweeten and moisten the cake.
• 16. Repeat broiling instructions until you run out of batter. Will make between 20 and 30 layers.
• 17. Once you are done broiling(not baking), cool cake completely then refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
• 18. Once cake is refrigerated start working on your glaze. Firstly by heating a small sauce pan on medium-low heat.
• 19. Melt butter in pan then add chocolate and corn syrup. Stir continuously to keep from burning.
• 20. Once chocolate is completely melted add rum and extracts. Mix well.
• 21. Coat entire cake with apricot preserves, as much as you wish or have left. Spread evenly.
• 22. Pour chocolate glaze over cake and spread evenly with a spatula. Glaze will set as it cools.
• 23. Garnish cake with almonds and chocolate curls if desired.