"Beans & Barley" Poppy Seed Torte

Bring all ingredients to room temperature. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Stir in vanilla, sour cream and poppy seeds. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture and mix lightly to incorporate. Do not beat. Pour into 2 buttered and paper-lined 10-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or until tester inserted into center comes out clean. Cut rounded top portion off top of each cake layer and discard. This will make assembling cake easier. Using long, serrated knife, cut each layer into 2 layers. Prepare buttercream icing and use to frost between cake layers as well as top and side of cake. Makes 16 servings.

Buttercream icing

Ingredients

1 1/2 C. sugar

3/4 C. water

8 egg yolks

3 C. (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks, room temperature

1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

In medium saucepan, cook sugar and water over high heat to 228 degrees, using candy thermometer to be sure sugar syrup is correct temperature. Mixture will become clear. Do not stir. While cooking sugar/water mixture, beat egg yolks in rounded metal bowl until light yellow and fluffy. Set bowl over pan of simmering water to create double boiler, being careful that bottom of bowl does not touch water. Slowly add sugar syrup to yolks, beating briskly with whisk, while making sure temperature does not fall below 160 degrees. (Keep candy thermometer in bowl while whisking.) Be careful temperature does not get too high or eggs will cook. Remove from heat and continue beating until mixture cools. Once mixture is cooled, add butter, piece by piece. Mixture should be cool enough that butter does not melt. When all butter has been added, beat on high speed until light, fluffy and spreadable. Add vanilla; mix in.