Almond cake with kewra apricot & white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream

Your Remedy is within you, but you do not sense it.Your Sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it.You Presume you are a small entity,But within you is enfolded the entire universe.You are indeed the evident book,By whose alphabet the hidden becomes the manifest.Therefore, you have no need to look beyond yourself,What you seek is within you, if only you reflect.Ali bin abi talib

Happy birthday to me !! And there’s no way for a baker to celebrate a cake without a baking a cakefor himself ...I decided to post a new layerd cake recipes on my birthday every year.But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to post aa cake recipe at all.And this recipe flavor combination based on my favorite protein bar.Almond and white Chocolate but I want to add something fruity to bond the flavors togetherApricot with kewra water for tropical flavor to celebrate summer.You can find kewra water at Asian markets!! I got mine from saudi Arabia. And I believe it works perfectly with apricot compote.225g  salted butter, softened(300g) 1½ cups sugar2 teaspoons almond extract(300g) 3 cups cake flour (50g) 1/2 cup almond  flour4 teaspoons of baking powder½ teaspoon salt6 large egg whites, room temperature(360ml) 1½ cups milk, room temperatureMethod :Preheat an oven to 350f/180c degrees F.Grease three 9-inch pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper.use stand mixer and cream butter + sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes then add almond extractUse a fork to combine the eggs and milk together in a big bowlIn another mixing bowl stir together cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt.Add the flour mixture in 3 batches and the milk in two batches alternately, starting and ending with flour mixtureMix until combined, using a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom to make sure everything is mixed in.Divide the batter among the three prepared pans. Bake at for 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit in pans for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before layering and frosting.Kewra water apricot compote(250ml) 1 cup fresh orange juice2 teaspoon of kewra water(100g) 1/2 cup sugar.450g - 600g  fresh ripe apricots, pitted, halved, and choppedIn a medium saucepan over medium-high, heat the orange juice and sugar and bring to a boil.Add the chopped apricots and return to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer very gently for about 45 minutes, after 25 minutes add kewra water and carry on  simmering until the liquid has reduced to a syrup and the apricots have broken down.Set a side let it cool downWhite chocolate Swiss meringue(150g)  3/4 Cup White Sugar3 Egg Whites(300g) Unsalted Butter, softened(50g)  White Chocolate, melted, cooled1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract1/8 tsp Sea SaltPlace sugar and egg whites in a  mixer bowl, over a pot of simmering water; stir mixture until egg whites register 140°F / 60 C on an instant-read thermometer.Remove bowl from double boiler; beat on high with stand mixer by using whisk attachment speed until meringue stiff peaks form. Gently mix in softened butter to meringue; beat until smooth. Stir in white chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt.AssemblePlace one cake layer, cake stand and spread with apricot compote ( but not too much) ; place 2nd layerUse the white chocolate buttercream to ice the cake the way  you please using a cake spatula.NotesMake sure the butter is soft and at room temperature when you add it to the meringue.If kewra water is not available you can use orange blossom or rose water would work as well.