Apricot Cream Cake

For the cake, separate eggs, beat whites until stiff and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Beat egg yolks until foamy and beat in remaining sugar, water, vanilla sugar and lemon oil. Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Mix flour, cornstarch and baking soda, sift over egg mixture and fold in with a whisk.

Line the bottom of a springform pan 22 cm diameter (approximately 8 1/2 inches diameter) with parchment paper. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake cake in oven preheated to 180°C (fan: 160°C, gas mark 2-3)(approximately 350°F) for 20-25 minutes. Line a wire rack with parchment paper. Carefully loosen cake from pan and invert to remove cake onto prepared rack. Remove parchment paper from cake and let cake cool.

Cut cake horizontally into two layers. Set bottom layer on a serving plate and spread with apricot jam. Set a cake ring around cake layer on plate.

For the apricot cream, soak gelatin in 3 tablespoons cold water. Drain apricots, setting one apricot half aside for garnish. Puree 100 g apricots and stir in sugar, bourbon-vanilla sugar and apricot liqueur. Dissolve gelatin according to package instructions and stir into apricot cream mixture. Beat whipping cream until stiff and fold into apricot cream mixture.

Cut remaining apricots into small pieces, stir into 1/3 of the apricot cream and spread smoothly over bottom cake layer. Set top cake layer over filling, smoothly spread remaining apricot cream on top of cake and refrigerate for about 3 hours.