Ingredients

How to make it

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour four 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pans with waxed
  • paper. Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Beat butter and 1 1/2
  • cups sugar in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour
  • mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions. Using clean
  • dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form.
  • Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until whites are stiff but
  • not dry. Fold 1/3 of whites into butter mixture. Fold in remaining whites
  • in 2 additions. Divide batter among pans (batter will be about 1/2 inch
  • deep). Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about
  • 20 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off paper. Cool completely.
  • For filling: Mix bourbon, cherries and apricots in small bowl. Cover; let
  • stand at room temperature until most of bourbon is absorbed and fruit
  • softens, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. Using electric mixer, beat yolks
  • and sugar in medium bowl until mixture falls in heavy ribbon when beaters
  • are lifted, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter. Transfer yolk mixture to heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until thermometer registers
  • 160 degrees F and mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat;
  • mix in nuts, coconut and fruit mixture. Chill until cold, about 4 hours. Mix
  • in chocolate. (Cake layers and filling can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap
  • cakes; store at room temperature. Cover filling; chill.)
  • Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 1/3 of filling. Repeat layering of cake and filling 2 more times. Top with final cake layer, pressing slightly.
  • Chill cake.
  • For frosting: Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in bourbon and vanilla. Beat cream and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add cream cheese mixture to whipped cream; beat until stiff enough to spread. Spread
  • frosting over top and sides of cake. If desired, place pecans around edge
  • of cake. Using rolling pin, flatten apricot halves between sheets of plastic
  • wrap. Cut out leaf shapes. Arrange on cake. (Can be made 2 days ahead.
  • Cover with cake dome; chill.) Makes 10 to 12 servings.

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