layer cake

Holiday desserts are my favorite thing to make. The whole
baking process is just magical: sweet smell of baked dough, flour on the floor
and fluffy frosting that you just eat with your finger. This Cranberry layer
cake makes a great centerpiece at the holiday dessert table. Lightweight sponge
cake layered with two kinds of frosting: cranberry jam and dulce de leche. Perfect
balance of sweet and tart flavors on a thin cloud like cake.

Cooking time: 2.5 hours
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 4 cups all-purpose baking flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 oz. soften butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs (separated)
• 1 tsp. baking soda

Frosting and cranberry
topping:

Directions

For cake

Using mixer, combine egg yolks with a cup of sugar in a
large bowl. Incorporate soften butter and sour cream. In a separate bowl sift
the flour and soda. Gradually add dry ingredients to the large bowl. The dough
should come our soft but not sticky. Divide into 5 equal pieces. Form a ball out
of each piece, wrap in a plastic wrap and place in a fridge at least for an
hour.

When ready to bake, position racks in top and bottom third
of the oven; preheat to 400°F. Prepare a large lid that fits into a cake
serving plate and use it to trim the upcoming cake layers. After that, take 2
baking sheets and spray them with cooking oil. Take the dough out of the fridge
one by one and roll out a circle in a  size a little bigger than the lid you chose.
Bake each layer 20-25 minutes till it gets golden. You can bake in a batch of
two. Trim the baked pieces while they are still warm using sharp knife and the lid.

For frosting and
glaze

While the last batch of layers still baking, prepare the frosting
and the glaze. For the frosting, mix lightly soften butter and a whole can of
sweetened condensed milk. Do not overmix or the butter starts separate into fat
and water. For the glaze, use store-bought cranberry jam or make your own (See
below). In a separete bowl beat the egg whites till soft picks start forming.

Assembling

Place 1^st cake layer on a serving plate. Spread less
than a half beaten egg whites and 3 tablespoons of jam over top. Place 2^nd
cake layer. Spoon half of the frosting over and spread evenly. Repeat steps one and two with the next two layers. The last layer just cover with jam.

Crumble the cut offs and decorate the sides of
the cake. You can use fresh
berries to decorate the top as well.

Let it cool for a 3-4 hours in the fridge so the layers
absorb the frosting and glaze. Bring it to the room temperature before serving.

Quick Cranberry Jam

Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook on a
medium heat until the sugar dissolves completely. Let it boil on high for 7-8
minutes mixing constantly. Set aside and let it cool.