4-Layer Cake:

1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
3 c. plain sifted flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. whole or 2% milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. fresh lemon peel
7 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
maraschino cherries with stems on

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add 4 egg yolks and beat well. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together. Add to butter and sugar mix alternately with milk. Do not beat, but mix well. Add vanilla and peel. Add cream of tartar to egg whites and beat until very stiff peaks form. Fold batter into stiff whites.

Bake at 350°F on middle rack in oven in 4 (9-inch) greased and floured pans for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not overbake; check for doneness at 12 minutes. Turn out immediately onto cake rack. Cool.

Buttercream Icing:

8 egg yolks
2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. milk, scalded
2 c. unsalted butter (room temperature; not butter or salted butter)
1 tbsp. vanilla

In saucepan, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and light colored. Slowly stir in hot milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture coats a spoon. Cool until lukewarm. Transfer to mixing bowl. Beat in butter, a little bit at a time. Mixture will get thin after part of the butter is added, then it will thicken. After all butter is beaten in, beat in vanilla.

Almond Praline:

2 c. slivered almonds
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water

In a heavy skillet on medium-low heat, cook sugar and water until a dark golden caramel color, takes about 2 hours. The sugar water cooks clear for a while, then turns solid and white, so solid you can't stir it. After a while it turns liquid and brown. Use metal spoon to stir; temperature is too hot for rubber spatula.

As this cooks, toast almonds on cookie sheet in oven at 350°F until golden brown; takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside. Add toasted almonds to caramelized sugar. Quickly spread out on buttered pan. Let cool.

Break into pieces and crush with rolling pin or in food processor.

Make cake, icing and praline.

To Assemble: Ice all layers with icing, top and sides, saving out about 1/2 cup. Sprinkle the praline on top of cake, then gently press remaining praline into sides. Pipe reserved icing into rosettes on top. Place a drained maraschino cherry half into each rosette. Refrigerate.

Makes a tall, large cake with approximately 8,000 calories.

Alternate: Save 1 cake layer for another use; halve the icing recipe and use part of the Praline as ice cream topping.