White Ivory Cream Cake

CAKE
8 oz White chocolate, finely
.chopped
3 c Sifted cake flour
2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Salt
1 Stick unsalted butter (1/2c)
1 1/4 c Sugar
3 lg Eggs
2 ts Vanilla
1 c + 1 T milk

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. 2. Make
the Cake: In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate over hot, not
simmering, water. Set aside to cool slightly. 3. In a large bowl with
an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one
at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the
melted chocolate and the vanilla. In three additions, on low speed,
alternately beat in the flour mixture and the milk. Beat until just
smooth, about 20 seconds. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared pans
and bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the top is golden and a cake
tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the cake pans on a
wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto the
racks to cool completely. 5. Prepare the Filling and Frosting: Place
the white chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small heavy saucepan,
bring 1 1/2 cups of the cream and the butter to a simmer. Pour over
the chocolate. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then stir until
smooth. Refrigerate the white chocolate mixture until firm enough to
spread, about 1 hour. 6. To Assemble: Spread the bottom layer with 1
cup of the chilled white chocolate mixture. Arrange the chopped
macadamia nuts over the filling, and top with the second cake layer.
7. In a medium bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup cream until firm peaks
form. Fold the whipped cream into the remaining white chocolate
mixture. Spread this over the top and sides of the cake. Arrange
whole macadamia nuts around the rim and base of the cake. Chill until
ready to serve. Garnish each piece with a fanned strawberry or
raspberries.

Yields
1 9″ cake