Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp softened unsalted butter, divided use
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups sugar
8 eggs
3 Tbsp rum
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 pound peeled and diced apples
Apricot preserves
1/2 cup roasted slivered almonds for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cake pans with 2 Tbsp of butter, then dust with flour and set aside.
Using a mixer, cream 1 1/2 cups butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add rum and buttermilk, mixing again. Sift together cake flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and add to above ingredients. Finally, fold in the apples.
Spread cake batter into pans. Bake for 60 minutes or until center is cooked.
I mold cakes on a cloth. Remove pans. The cakes may be glazed with slightly melted apricot preserves and garnished with almonds.