Hazel-Nut Cake

Prepare a fine paste with two eggs, four ounces of almonds and four ounces of hazel-nuts, both well pounded. Put into a basin a pound and a quarter of sugar with twenty egg-yolks, beat till quite frothy, then stir in the almond and nut paste, continuing to beat for a few moments longer; mix in lightly three-quarters of a pound of flour and twenty egg-whites whipped to a stiff froth. Divide this preparation in three rings eight inches in diameter lined with paper; bake the cakes in a slow oven; turn them out as soon as done and leave cool off entirely, then mask each with a thick layer of pastry cream (No. 46) highly flavored with vanilla, adding to it a few roasted hazel-nuts pounded with a little cream. Lay one round on top of the other to form into one large cake; pare it well rounded and very uniform with a knife and cover it entirely with reduced apricot marmalade (No. 3675); ice the cake with vanilla icing (No. 102). As soon as this is hard and dry slide the cake on a dish covered with lace paper and decorate the top with a fine display of royal icing ornamentation. Surround the bottom of the cake with small lady bouchees (No. 3376) iced with white fondant (No. 58), laying each one in a small paper case.