Quick & Easy Apricot Filled Chocolate Cake Apricot Cake, Layout, Editing by Diane Shavkin NY Apricot Cake Picture by Steve Shavkin NY

Instructions:

1.    Make a devil's food or chocolate cake in the sized pans of choice.

2.    Use a knife to level the humped area of the two layers.

3.    Place one of the layers on a foil covered board or non-lipped place.  Be sure the flat part (the part that touched the inside, bottom of the cake pans) is touching the plate or foil.  If florist foil is being used, be sure that wax paper is underneath the cake.

4.    Spread the filling of choice on the top of the bottom layer cake.  Place the leveled part of the other layer cake on top of the filling.

Note:  I purchase my fillings from Country Kitchen SweetArt, Inc. in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Vi and her staff are wonderful to work with.  The fillings are listed on page 144 of their catalog.  To send for a catalog and visit their web site:  http://www.countrykitchensa.com     To go directly to their site with the fillings:  http://countrykitchensa.com/online_shopping/ordering_index_2.htm

5.    Make a circle of the filling on the top of the cake.  Frost the sides of the cake with chocolate frosting.  Make a large zig-zag (tip #22), on the top of the cake touching the outside of the filling and ending at the edge of the cake.  Work back and forth until the enter outer edge of the cake has been covered with frosting.

Cake by Michaelle Stidham of Michigan Filling:  Cherry Pie Filling

Variations:

a.    A yellow or French vanilla cake with chocolate filling, frosted in chocolate with swirls made on the top of the frosted cake and sliced almonds on the sides of the cake.

b.    A yellow, French vanilla cake with the filling of choice in the center and top of the cake.  White, buttercream frosting on the cake with cherry or raspberry filling in a circle in the center of the cake is very attractive.

c.    Take one of the layers of the cake and put a blueberry or other filling of your choice (this cake will have one layer only) in a circle on top of the cake.  When making the circle covered all but enough room to pipe a shell border.  Make a zig-zag (tip #22) on the sides of the cake.  Add the shell border.

d.  Lucky Leaf has a wonderful lemon pudding that is delightful as a filling between layers and as color on the top of the cake.  A lemon cake could be used to really give complement to the cake and filling.