1 c  Softened butter
2 c  Sugar
4    Eggs--seperated
1/2 c  Heavy cream
1 c  Mashed potatos
1 c  Ground almonds
4 oz Unsweetened
-chocolate--melted
1 ts Pure vanilla extract
2 ts Rum
1 ts Cinnamon
1 1/2 c  Unbleached white flour
2 ts Baking powder
FROSTING:
3 tb Butter--softened
1 1/2 c  Powdered sugar--sifted
2 tb Strong, warm freshly brewed
-coffee
1 oz Unsweetened
-chocolate--melted
1 tb Strong, dark rum
1/2 ts Pure vanilla extract
FILLING:
1/2 c  Raspberry butter OR jam OR
-1/2 cup stewed dried
-apricots--pureed
16    Whole almonds or 1/2 cup
-slivered almonds.

CAKE:

Preheat oven to 325 F. Generously butter and flour a 10-inch springform
pan. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a
time, and then add the next 4 ingredients, beating until smooth. Mix in the
vanilla and rum. Sift together the cinnamon, flour and baking powder and
add to the batter, mixing well.

Beat the egg whites until stiff–BUT NOT DRY–and fold them into the
batter. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours or till a
knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for
about 15 minutes in the pan, then slide a knife between the sides of the
cake and the detachable side of the springform pan. Remove the pan.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting. Cream together the butter
and powdered sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat till smooth.
When the cake is cool, carefully slice it in half horozontally and spread
the jam or cooked apricots between the layers. Reassemble the cake and
spread the frosting on the top and sides. If you wish–decorate with
almonds.