Bee Hive Cake

2 7" rounds of buttermilk, pound or white cake
1-1/2 lbs. butter cream (recipe above)
1 cup honey
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Yellow food coloring

Assembling the Cake: Split two cake layers in half, and fill first two layers with uncolored honey butter cream. Top second layer with thin layer of apricot preserves. To create a hive shape, shave the top sides of the outer edge of the third layer, and save cake remains.

Place third layer on top of preserve-coated second layer, and top the third layer with uncolored honey butter cream. Cut an inch off around the fourth layer to create the hive shape. Place uncolored honey butter cream onto fourth layer, and press in cake remains to create top of hive. Save remaining uncolored butter cream for blossom decoration.

Shape top of cake with spatulas to make an even hive. Chill cake for 1 hour. Spread yellow butter cream evenly from top to bottom. Use precut cardboard template to form ridges in hive.

To Decorate with Vines, Bees and Flowers: Pipe vines on hive cake with chocolate butter cream in pastry bag with No. 3 writing tip. Add chocolate leaves to vines with leaf tip. Pipe flowers on vines with uncolored honey butter cream and flower tip. Pipe 3 or 4 almond-sized and shaped bee bodies on some flowers using the No. 3 writing tip and yellow butter cream.

Pipe three chocolate lines across bee bodies, add a stinger and a small head. Stick four even-sized slivered almonds into body for wings (2 slices per wing).Pipe 2 eyes on bee heads with honey butter cream. Makes 8 servings