Honey Slices with Apricot Jam and Buttercream

Place apricots, water, vanilla sugar, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until the apricots are tender. Blend the entire mixture with a hand blender, then strain it through a sieve to obtain a smooth paste. Set aside for later use.

Melt honey, brown sugar, and butter over low heat. Once melted, add 2 eggs and quickly whisk together. Sift the remaining ingredients and mix with the butter mixture. Spread the batter in a baking pan measuring 20 x 29 cm lined with parchment paper on the bottom. Bake at 180°C for 13-14 minutes or until golden on top. Immediately take the cake out of the pan and place it onto a clean kitchen towel and wrap it. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least until the next day – preferably longer.

Whisk the butter until fluffy, preferably using a stand mixer. Add powdered sugar and whisk until the mixture doubles in volume and becomes pale. Add rum to taste.

Carefully split the honey cake in half with a bread knife. Spread apricot jam on the bottom half – reserve ¼ of the jam for decoration. Place the top half of the honey cake gently on top of the jam layer and chill the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes. This makes it easier to spread the buttercream over it. Carefully distribute the rum buttercream onto the cake, and decorate as desired.