MAPLE-PECAN TORTE (WITH BOURBON)

Steps:

• heat oven to 350°F.
• Spread chopped pecans on large baking sheet.
• Toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Remove nuts from oven; set aside to cool.
• Maintain oven at 350°F.
• Lightly butter and flour 2 straight-sided 10 inch round cake pans.
• Line bottoms with ungreased kitchen parchment or waxed paper.
• On medium speed, beat 1 cup butter in large bowl until fluffy.
• Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.
• Continue to beat until very fluffy.
• Increase speed to high.
• Pour in 1 cup of the maple syrup in thin stream, beating all the while.
• Beat egg yolks into the butter mixture, one at a time, beating and scraping sides of bowl with rubber spatula after each addition.
• Beat in orange zest, maple flavoring and vanilla.
• Sift cake flour, baking powder and soda onto waxed paper or bowl.
• Sift together one more time; set aside.
• Beat egg whites and salt in large grease-free bowl with clean beaters on medium speed until soft peaks form.
• Increase speed to high and beat until stiff but not dry.
• Beginning and ending with the flour mixture, fold it and egg whites alternately in butter mixture, sifting the flour over the butter mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time and then folding it into mixture.
• The flour will take 5 additions.
• The egg whites 4 additions.
• Fold gently--Do not over mix.
• Pour batter in prepared cake pans and smooth surface with gently with rubber spatula.
• Bake in center of oven 25 to 30 minutes or until inserted wooden pick comes out clean.
• Remove pans from oven. Let layers cool in pans on wire rack 8 minutes.
• Unmold layers onto wire racks, let cool completley.
• Place layers in plastic wrap on baking sheets in freezer until semi frozen, about 45 minutes.
• While cake is in freezer make Maple Buttercream:.
• Combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup maple sugar in a heavy saucepan.
• Add orange slice and bourbon.
• Heat, stirring constantly over medium-high heat to boiling.
• Boil gently 1 minute.
• Remove from heat. Discard orange slice.
• You should have about 1/3 cup of syrup.
• Trim brown crusts from top and bottom of each semi-frozen cake layer; discard trimmings.
• Cut each layer horizontally in half with long serrated knife.
• Brush sides of layers with syrup.
• Sprinkle remaining syrup over surface of each layer.
• Place one layer, syrup side up on plate.
• Spread with Buttercream.
• Stack second layer on top with syrup side up.
• Spread with Buttercream.
• Repeat with next 2 layers--do not put Buttercream on top of last layer.
• Place a baking sheet on top of cake.
• Place a one 1-pound weight (can of fruit or a bag of rice) on top of baking sheet.
• Refrigerate 15 minutes to compress layers.
• Remove cake from refrigerator. Remove weight. Remove baking sheet.
• Spread remaining Buttercream over top and sides of cake.
• Press toasted pecans evenly over sides of cake.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
• Maple Buttercream:.
• Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy; reserve.
• Heat maple syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat to boiling.
• Cook without stirring until syrup reaches firm ball stage or candy thermometer reaches 244°F (31 to 32 minutes), watching to see syrup doesn't boil over.
• You should have about 1 cup.
• When syrup reaches soft ball stage (238 degrees to 240 degrees or 22 minutes), begin beating egg whites with salt in large grease-free bowl with clean beaters on medium speed until stiff but not dry (7 to 8 minutes.
• Continue to beat.
• Add hot syrup in thin streams, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula once or twice.
• Continue to beat mixture until it has reached room temperature and no longer feels warm (10 to 15 minutes).
• Increase speed to high.
• Beat in one fourth of the reserved butter about 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Then beat in remaining butter by tablespoons.
• Scrape down sides.
• Beat in bourbon and vanilla.