Apricot Pistachio Torte w/Honey Buttercream

By stancec44

Do not over cook cake. Presentation value high. Can be put together 8 hours in advance; cover and let stand at cool room temp.

Ingredients

• Pistachio cake:
• Apricot Filling
• 1 c. water
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. orange honey
• 1 1/3 c. (packed) moist dried apricots (about 7 1/2 oz.)
• 1 c. flour
• 3/4 c. (about 3 oz.) shelled roasted unsalted pistachios (about 6 oz. in shell)
• Pinch of salt
• 5 lg. eggs
• 2 lg. egg yolks
• 3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted & cooled
• Powdered sugar
• Honey Buttercream
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. orange honey
• 1/3 c. water
• 6 lg. egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. + 2 Tbsp (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp., but into pieces
• 3/4 c. shelled roasted unsalted pistachios, chopped
• Glazed Apricots:
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 c. orange honey
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 20 large moist dried apricots (about 6 oz.)

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Glazed Apricots:
Stir water, honey and sugar in heavy large saucepan over med. heat until sugar dissolves. Add apricots and cook until they are tender and syrup is reduced and thinly coats a spoon, stirring frequently, about 10-15 minutes (NOTE: do not overcook, as they will get hard when cool). Cool apricots in syrup at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Remove from syrup and drain on paper towels to remove any excess syrup (they will be sticky).

For Filling:
Stir water, sugar and honey in heavy med. saucepan over med. heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Add apricots, reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer 3 minutes to thicken syrup slight. Puree in processor. Transfer to bowl and cool. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate - bring to room temp. before using.)

For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Butter 10 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1" jelly roll pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Dust pan with flour; tap out excess. Finely grind 1 c. flour, shelled pistachios and salt in processor.

Combine eggs, yolks, sugar and vanilla in large bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not let bottom of pan touch water) and whisk just until warm, about 3 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture triples in volume and thick ribbon falls when beaters are lifted. Gently fold in flour-nut mix in 2 batches. Pour 1 c. batter into small bowl; fold in melted butter. Gently, but thoroughly, fold butter mix into remaining cake batter. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top is gold brown and tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. (NOTE: do not over bake.) Cook cake in pan on rack.

Lightly dust 10 1/2 x 15 1/2" piece of parchment paper with powdered sugar. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto sugared parchment paper. Peel off top parchment. Cut cake crosswise into 3 5 x 10" rectangles.

For buttercream:
Stir sugar, honey and 1/3 c. water in heavy med. saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Brush sides of pan with cold water. Increase heat and boil until syrup registers 238 F on candy thermometer, tilting pan if necessary to submerge thermometer, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg yolks with vanilla in large bowl until tripled in volume.

Gradually beat hot syrup into yolks. Continue beating until mix is cool, about 10 minutes. Gradually add butter and beat until smooth.

Spoon 3/4 c. buttercream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip (#1). Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 1/3 c. apricot filling over. Spread 1/2 c. buttercream over filling. Top with second cake layer. Spread with 1/3 c. apricot filling and then with 1/2 c. buttercream. Top with 3rd layer. Spread with 1/3 c. filling (reserve remaining filling for another use). Spread top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream. Press chopped nuts onto sides of cake.

Halve glazed apricots and arrange decoratively down center of cake. Pipe buttercream in pastry bag decoratively around apricots or base of cake.