Craig’s Macadamia Cake

FOR THE FILLING
2 c Macadamia nuts
1/2 c Sugar
3 tb -Water
2 tb Corn syrup
1 tb Unsalted butter
1 tb Whipping cream

FOR THE ICING
2 c Flaked unsweetened coconut
1 c Whipping cream
2 tb Sugar; to taste
1 ts Vanilla extract

For the CAKE: Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan. Toast the nuts in a
preheated 325 F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they smell nutty. Cool.
Grate the nuts fine with a hand nut grater and stir in the flour, or grind
them fine with the flour in a food processor. Beat the egg yolks with half
the sugar, the vanilla, and the kirsch to a 3-second ribbon. Warm the egg
whites over hot water or swirl them over a gas flame until barely warm,
then beat them with the salt and the cream of tartar to soft peaks again.
Spread the yolk mixture over the whites and sprinkle with a quarter of the
nuts. Fold until partially mixed, sprinkle with another quarter of the
nuts, and fold. Repeat until all the nuts have been folded in. Be careful
not to overwork the batter and deflate the eggs. Pour into the prepared pan
and bake in a preheated 325 F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the sides
of the cake just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool. For
the FILLING: Toast the nuts in a preheated 325 F oven for 5 to 7 minutes,
or until they smell nutty. Cool and chop coarse. Shake the nuts in a coarse
strainer to remove any dusty particles. Put the sugar in a small
non-corroding saucepan, add the water, and cook over medium heat until
light gold. Remove from the heat and carefully add the corn syrup, butter,
and cream. Stir over low heat until the caramel has dissolved, then stir
the caramel into the nuts to bind them. Slice the cake into two layers and
spread the warm filling between them. For the ICING: Toast the coconut in a
preheated 325 F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often until pale golden
brown. Cool. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until it holds
soft peaks and is just stiff enough to spread on the cake. Ice the cake
with the cream and press the coconut all over the surface of the cake.