German Frankfurt Crown Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs, separated (egg yolks will be used one at a time, so keep them separated from each other)
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon rind
8 tablespoons rum
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 1/2 cups sifted all purpose white flour
BUTTER CREAM FILLING
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon rum
1 cup unsalted butter
APRICOT GLAZE
1/2 cup apricot jam
1 tablespoon sugar
PRALINE TOPPING
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup blanched sliced almonds

Preparation

To prepare cake, cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in egg yolks, one at a time.
Mix in lemon rind and 2 tablespoons rum.
Sift baking powder and flour together.
Gently mix into butter mixture.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter.
Pour into a well-greased 10 inch tube pan.
Bake in a preheated 325\u00b0F oven about 60 minutes, until cake tests done.
Cool cake in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.
Slice cake crosswise into 3 layers.
Pour about 2 tablespoons rum over EACH layer.
For butter-cream filling, boil sugar and water to 238\u00b0F (soft ball stage).
Beat egg yolks until very light and fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes.
While still beating the egg yolks, add the sugar syrup in a THIN STREAM.
Beat 5 minutes more, until very thick and doubled in bulk.
Slowly beat in rum.
Beat the butter in a small bowl until soft and light.
Beat butter into the egg mixture a little at a time.
Continue beating until thick.
Chill until mixture can be spread.
If mixture is too soft, beat in additional butter.
While butter cream is cooling, spread 2 tablespoons butter thickly in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan for praline topping.
Then, in a 1-quart saucepan boil sugar and water to 239\u00b0F (soft ball stage).
Stir in almonds; cook until mixture reaches 310\u00b0F or until syrup caramelizes.
Pour syrup into prepared baking pan.
When cool, break up praline and grind it in a blender for a few seconds.
Finally, heat jam with sugar and press through a strainer or sieve to make apricot glaze.
To assemble cake, place bottom layer of cake on a cake plate and spread with half of the butter cream.
Repeat with second layer.
Place third layer on top.
Spread tops and sides of cake with apricot glaze.
Press praline powder into glaze.
Any remaining butter cream can be used to decorate top of cake.