Venetian Cake

Name: Venetian Cake
Ingredients: 1 pound Wheat flour (lightly roasted) (Use high quality wheat flour, lightly toasted and cooled.); 1/2 pound Granulated sugar (Originally 'loaf sugar'. Grind to a powder before using.); 1/2 pound Butter (cold/hard) (Keep butter firm.); 4 ounces Sweet almonds (Originally 10.5 Tolas. Blanched and peeled.); 1 teaspoon Almond extract (Originally '2.5 Tolas bitter almond seeds'. Substituted with extract for safety as raw bitter almonds can be toxic.); 4 yolks Egg yolks (From fresh eggs.); 2 tablespoons Rose water or Orange Flower water (Use as needed for grinding almonds.); 1 cup Fruit jams (assorted colors) (Use different colors (e.g., strawberry, apricot, blackberry) for layers.); 1 cup Icing sugar (For making the top icing.); 2 tablespoons Colored sugar (For decoration.); 1 tablespoon Water (Use only if needed to bind the dough.)

A sophisticated historical dessert featuring layers of rich, almond-infused shortbread stacked with vibrant fruit jams. This Venetian Cake combines the crumbly texture of a buttery biscuit with the sweetness of preserved fruits, finished with a glaze of white icing and festive colored sugar. The unique assembly creates a stunning multi-colored cross-section, making it an impressive centerpiece for afternoon tea or special celebrations.

Ingredients

1 pound Wheat flour (lightly roasted) (Use high quality wheat flour, lightly toasted and cooled.)
1/2 pound Granulated sugar (Originally 'loaf sugar'. Grind to a powder before using.)
1/2 pound Butter (cold/hard) (Keep butter firm.)
4 ounces Sweet almonds (Originally 10.5 Tolas. Blanched and peeled.)
1 teaspoon Almond extract (Originally '2.5 Tolas bitter almond seeds'. Substituted with extract for safety as raw bitter almonds can be toxic.)
4 yolks Egg yolks (From fresh eggs.)
2 tablespoons Rose water or Orange Flower water (Use as needed for grinding almonds.)
1 cup Fruit jams (assorted colors) (Use different colors (e.g., strawberry, apricot, blackberry) for layers.)
1 cup Icing sugar (For making the top icing.)
2 tablespoons Colored sugar (For decoration.)
1 tablespoon Water (Use only if needed to bind the dough.)

Instructions

1Beat the egg yolks thoroughly in a soup plate using a fork. Blanch and peel the sweet almonds. Grind the almonds very finely, adding a small amount of Rose water or Orange Flower water to create a smooth paste. Crush the sugar and sift it through a fine sieve.
2In a large bowl, combine the flour, sifted sugar, butter, almond paste, almond extract, and beaten egg yolks. Mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add a very small amount of water to bind it into a stiff, hard dough.
3Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the dough to approximately 1/2 inch thickness. Place the sheet of dough onto a baking tray. Bake in the moderate oven until it turns a reddish-golden color. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
4Once the baked pastry has cooled, cut it into six equal square pieces. Take five of the pieces and spread a different colored jam on each one. Stack them on top of each other. Place the sixth plain piece on top to complete the stack. Alternatively, you may cut the pieces in graduating sizes (from large to small) to create a pyramid shape, leaving a 1-inch border visible on each layer; spread jam on these exposed borders.
5Prepare a simple icing using the icing sugar and a little water or rose water. Spread the icing over the top of the cake. While the icing is still wet, sprinkle the colored sugar over it for decoration.