Retro Buttercream Cake With Apricot Filling

Method

1. Make the cake first. Line the base and sides of 2x15cm/6inch round tins and preheat oven to 160C. Sift the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and make a well in the center and set aside. In a jug place the buttermilk, vinegar, and vanilla together and whisk. This recipe makes a 2 layered cake.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined and you don’t feel any grains of sugar when you rub it in your fingers. Gradually add the egg mixture to the bowl of flour and alternate with the buttermilk mixture folding into well, until there are no lumps.
3. Divide the mixture in two evenly, scoop into the prepared tins. Allow the unbaked cakes to rest on the counter for 10 minutes, then bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top and the center is done. Cool in the tin and then wrap up (you can bake these the day before).
4. Add the juice from the jar with the castor sugar in a small saucepan on low heat, stir and reduce until thicker and sticky. Chop your separated GV apricots into smaller pieces, when the sugar syrup is cool, stir in chopped fruit. This is ready now to add into the center of the cakes.
5. Place the mixer bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes beforehand. Using the whisk attachment whip the cream, sifted icing sugar and vanilla bean paste together until fluffy (do not overbeat). Place one cake on a cake disc and spread with 3/4 of the cream. Add the apricot syrup on top leaving a half inch border. Place the other half on top and then pipe the remaining cream around filling any gaps. Use an angled spatula to smooth the edges and keep in the fridge while you make the buttercream.
6. Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until as white as possible on a low speed. Beat in sugar, water, and vanilla in two batches. Beat and scrape for about 10 minutes until the buttercream no longer feels grainy. Divide the buttercream into bowls using half for one colour and then the remaining half in 2-3 bowls for remaining colours.
7. Spread some of your hero colour buttercream around the cake and coat the top and sides, scrape the sides so that they are smooth. This takes a while, dabbing and filling gaps, scraping until very smooth. Place in the fridge.
8. Place 2^nd colour in a piping bag with a 867 star tip and pipe “shells” around the base of the cake. Pipe swirls on top of the cake using the same tip and colour. Fill another bag with plain vanilla buttercream and a 104-petal tip and pipe ruffles around the cake. Add extra halved Goulburn Valley apricots on top of the cake, use the juice from the jar to brush on, to create a slight sheen. Place in the fridge to firm up for 60 minutes. Then once completely firm cover with cling film or place in a large box and store in the fridge.