AUSTRIAN WALNUT TORTE WITH COFFEE WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Butter 3 Nine inch round cake pan and line the bottom of each one with a round of buttered parchment paper.
• Dust the pans with flour and shake out any excess.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar until the mixture is doubled in volume and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted (about 5 minutes).
• In a food processor or blender, pulse the walnuts with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until ground fine.
• Add the walnuts, the bread crumbs, the coffee and the rum to the yolks and fold gently.
• In another bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg white just to stiff peaks.
• Gently and gradually fold the whites into the yolk mixture.
• Divide the batter among the three cake pans, spreading it evenly and giving each cake pan a good thump against the counter to make sure there are no air bubbles.
• Bake the layers 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sides pull away from the pans and the tops spring back when pressed gently.
• Cool in pans on racks for ten minutes.
• Run a sharp knife round the sides of the layers and carefully invert the layers onto the racks.
• Remove and discard parchment paper and allow layers to cool completely.
• Make the Coffee Whipped Cream:.
• In a large, chilled bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons of the cold heavy cream and the instant coffee until coffee is dissolved.
• Add remaining cream and confectioner's sugar and beat until cream forms stiff peaks.
• This will provide enough whipped cream to fill the two layers and to garnish the top.
• You can place the cream for the top in a pastry bag and decorate the top with rosettes.
• Garnish with the toasted walnut halves.