White Christmas Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, cubed
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the white chocolate cream frosting:

• 4 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 11 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
• 6 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam, divided

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
3. In a large saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the butter, the water, and 4 ounces of the white chocolate.
4. Cook and stir the mixture over low heat until melted.
5. Transfer the saucepan from the heat and stir in the buttermilk, the eggs, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon of the rum extract.
6. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the flour and the pecans.
7. In a large bowl, combine the remaining flour, the sugar, and the baking soda.
8. Gradually beat the butter mixture into the flour and sugar mixture.
9. Stir the pecan mixture into the flour and butter mixture.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans.
11. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.
12. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool completely.
13. In a microwave, melt the remaining white chocolate, stirring until smooth.
14. Allow the white chocolate to cool for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
15. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and the remaining butter.
16. Gradually beat the melted chocolate, the remaining vanilla, and the remaining rum extract into the cream cheese mixture.
17. Gradually beat the confectioners’ sugar into the frosting mixture until smooth.
18. Trim the cakes as needed to make sure they can stack easily.
19. Spread 2 tablespoons of the jam over one cake layer, then spread with 1/2 cup of the frosting.
20. Repeat the layers twice.
21. Spread the remaining frosting over the tops and sides of the cake.
22. Warm the remaining jam and drizzle it over the dessert plates.
23. Serve the torte on the jam-drizzled plates.