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Ingredients
- Perfect Yellow Cake:
- 3 * 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 * 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 * 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 * 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 * 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 * 2 cups sugar
- 4 * 4 eggs
- 1-1/2 * 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-1/4 * 1-1/4 cups buttermilk
- Meringue Buttercream:
- 10 * 10 large egg whites
- 2-1/2 * 2-1/2 cups sugar
- 4 * 4 cups unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
- 2 * 2 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation
Step 1
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch pan and line bottom with parchment. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar until fluffy, 2 min. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Add vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl.
3. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in three stages, beginning and ending with flour. Smooth batter into pan and bake until cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 48 min. Cool in pan for 15 min. Makes one 9-by-13 inch cake.
Meringue Buttercream:
1. Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water until sugar has dissolved, about 5 min. Test by rubbing the mixture between your fingers -- you shouldn't feel any sugar crystals.
2. Transfer bowl to the mixer stand with whisk attachment or use a handheld mixer and beat on high until it cools and stiff peaks form, 10 to 12 min.
3. Reduce speed to medium high and add butter a little at a time. (Buttercream may curdle but will become smooth as you continue to beat it.) Add vanilla.
4. Use within a few hours or refrigerate up to a week. Before using, bring to room temperature and beat on low until smooth. Makes 10 cups.
Bake cake, cool. Trim edges from cake and cut off the domed top so the cake is flat. slice cake in half horizontally and spread bottom layer with 1 cup apricot jam. Replace top layer and frost with 1-1/4 cups meringue buttercream.
Chill frosted cake for at least 30 minutes.
Cut into 1-1/2 inch squares and top with fondant flowers.