Cakes
Cake:
4 eggs separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Apricot Syrup:
1/3 cup apricot nectar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup amaretto
Apricot Mousse:
1-1/2 cups dried apricots
2-1/2 cups water
2 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons amaretto
3 cups whipping cream
Chocolate Glaze:
6 ounces chocolate chopped
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon amaretto
Cake: In large bowl, beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar until very pale, about 5 to 8 min. beat in vanilla, orange rind and almond extract. In separate bowl, beat whites until soft peaks form. fold whites into yolk mixture. Sift flour and cocoa powder over top; fold in carefully. Pour batter into greased 9-inch spring form pan. Bake in 350 F oven for 30 to 35 min. or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, Run knife around edge of cake. Let cake cool on wire rack.
Apricot syrup: In saucepan, cook nectar and sugar together over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, about 1 min. Stir in amaretto or orange liqueur. Set aside to let cool.
Apricot Mousse: Cover apricots in saucepan with 2-1/4 cups of the water. soak for 1 hour. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cook covered, until apricots are tender, 30 to 40 min. In food processor, puree apricots and water. Return to pan. ( You should have about 2-1/2 cups puree.)
Sprinkle gelatin over remaining 1/4 cup water in saucepan. Let stand for 1 min. to soften. Heat gently until gelatin dissolves.
Heat apricot puree and lemon juice together. Stir in gelatin and amaretto. Chill in large bowl set over larger bowl of ice water, stirring occasionally until consistency of unbeaten egg whites, about 20 min. Beat cream into soft peaks; fold into cooled apricot mixture. Reserve 1/2 cup for garnish.
Assembly: Remove sides of spring form pan and cut cake into 2 layers. Sprinkle cut side of layers with apricot syrup. Place 1 layer, syrup side up, in bottom of 10-in.springform pan. Pour in half of the apricot mousse. Top with second layer of cake. Repeat. Reserve 1/2 cup. Refrigerate for 2 h.
Chocolate Glaze: Melt chocolate, cream and amaretto, stirring until smooth. Let cool to room temp, so that chocolate is spreadable. Pour over top of cake; swirl gently with spatula until totally glazed. Chill for 30 min.
spoon reserved mousse into pastry bag fitted with small star nozzle; pipe tiny rosettes of mousse around outside edge of cake. Chill, covered, up to 24 hours or until ready to serve. Makes 10 to 12 servings.