Part 1 (Making Italian Butter Cream)
1) Place sugar in a heavy pot and pour water covering it evenly.
2) Bring it to a boil (do not stir) until soft ball stage which is about 240F / 116C. Refer to video on how to check consistency without a thermometer.
3) Remove from heat and immediatelt start to whisk egg whites together till fluffy.

4) By the time the egg whites are fluffy the sugar syrup should have cooled a little. Pour sugar syrup while still whisking the egg white. The correct technique would be to let the sugar syrup flow down the sides of the mixing bowl thus cooling it further.

5) Continue to whisk even after pouring in the sugar syrup to cool down meringue.

6) Once meringue has cooled to a warm temperature, add in butter and mix till smooth. If meringue is too hot, the butter will melt and becomes watery without the desired volume.

Part 2 (Assembling The Cake)
1) Saute almond flakes and sugar together in a pot over medium heat tossing it continuously for sugar to caramelise and coat almonds evenly.

2) When almonds are cooled,pound it a little to loosen the almond pieces.
3) Mix the hazelnut spread with 500gm of butter cream.
4) Place the first piece of vanilla sponge on a cake board, brush with sugar syrup and coat it with the butter cream. Place the second piece on top and coat it evenly doing the same for the third piece of vanilla sponge as well.

5) Coat the whole cake with generous amount of butter cream and sprinkle caramelised almond on top and on the sides. Decorate as per your desire and serve.

Recipe makes 1 X 20cm (8") Round Cake Ring.