Yields 30-40 servings
Ingredients
- 2 c. (255 g.) all-purpose flour
- 8 oz. almond paste
- 1½ c. (340 g.) butter, room temp.
- 1 c. (200 g.) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Pinch of ginger
- Salt
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- ½ c. Sun-Maid Golden Raisins & Apricots, chopped
- ½ c. Sun-Maid Raisins & Prunes, chopped
- ½ c. Sun-Maid Dried Mixed Berries, chopped
- 1½ c. water
- 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
- 6 oz. heavy cream
- Blanched almonds
- Yellow food coloring
- Red food coloring
- Violet food coloring
- Fruit jam of your choice
Directions
- Chop each pairing of dried fruit and place in individual bowls. Add ½ c. of boiling water to each bowl to soak and cook the dried fruits in individual batches. Cover and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line 3 quarter-sheet pans with parchment. Spray with cooking spray and set them aside.
- Cream the almond paste, butter, sugar, egg yolks, almond extract, orange zest, lemon zest, salt and spices. Beat with a paddle until light and fluffy. Add the flour in stages, scraping the bowl between each addition. Transfer the batter into three separate medium-sized bowls.
- Uncover the cooked fruit, mash 'em up real good and add each to one medium bowl of cake batter. Add a couple drops of food coloring to enhance the colors of each batch.
- Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold ⅓ of the egg whites into each bowl.
- Spread each batter onto a different prepared sheet pan and bake for about 11 mins., rotating the pans halfway through. Cool on a wire rack.
- Spread the jam on the yellow and red layers. Stack the cakes (starting with yellow on the bottom, then red & violet) on parchment on the back of a sheet pan. Place another sheet of parchment on top and then another sheet pan. Lean on the cakes and gently press them down.
- Slice the cakes in long straight lines, as wide as they are thick.
- Scald the cream and add it to the chocolate to create a ganache. Cover and let the chocolate melt. Place the cake logs on a cooling rack and smooth the ganache over the three exposed sides. Decorate with blanched almonds and thinly sliced apricots. Refrigerate for 20 mins. Slice and serve.
Recipe courtesy of Sun-Maid and Duff Goldman
