Rainbow Venetians

Total Time: 9 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 9 hrs Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) can almond paste
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (pure, not imitation)
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 10 drops green food coloring
• 8 drops red food coloring
• 12 ounces apricot preserves
• 5 ounces semisweet chocolate

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350.
• 2 grease three 9x13 pans; line with wax paper; grease paper.
• 3 break up almond paste in large bowl.
• 4 add butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract.
• 5 beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• 6 beat in flour and salt.
• 7 in a separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
• 8 gently fold into almond mixture.
• 9 spread 1 1/2 cup batter into one of the pans.
• 10 remove 1 1/2 cup batter to small bowl and mix in the green food coloring, then spread that in another prepared pan.
• 11 to the remaining 1 1/2 cup batter, add the red food coloring, then spread in the remaining prepared pan.
• 12 bake for 15 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.
• 13 (cakes will only be about 1/4-inch thick.) immediately remove cakes from pans onto wire racks and cool completely.
• 14 line a jelly roll pan with wax paper.
• 15 heat the apricot preserves in a small saucepan and strain.
• 16 place the green layer on the jelly roll pan.
• 17 spread half the warm preserves on this all the way to the edges.
• 18 add the yellow layer on top and spread with remaining preserves.
• 19 place the pink layer, top-side up, on the yellow layer.
• 20 cover with plastic wrap.
• 21 weight down with a large cutting board or heavy flat tray.
• 22 refrigerate overnight.
• 23 melt chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water.
• 24 trim cake edges even.
• 25 cut cake crosswise into 1-inch wide strips.
• 26 frost top, then lay on its side and frost the bottom.
• 27 allow chocolate to dry.
• 28 cut into 1-inch pieces.
• 29 repeat with remaining strips.