Almond Hazelnut Cake:
2-1/2 ounces whole natural almonds (1/2 cup), toasted
2-1/2 ounces hazelnuts, toasted and skinned (a generous 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark-brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
4 large egg whites
 
Pistachio Buttercream:
3-1/2 ounces pistachios (1 1/4 cups), toasted
4 large egg yolks
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup milk
1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
 
Marzipan:
1 pound almond paste
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
 
Marzipan Nuts and Leaves:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds marzipan
Supplies: Moss-green food paste
# 7314 Nut Brown Chefmaster Paste Food Coloring
Petal Dust Food Coloring in colors like buttercup, old rose, and burgundy (optional)
Hershey’s Cocoa Powder 

For almond hazelnut cake:
1. You will need fifteen batches of cake batter to complete twelve-layer cake. Six batches are needed to make three largest oval layers, 16 1/2 by 12 inches. Two batches can be divided between a 7 3/4-by-5 1/2-inch pan and a 13 1/2-by-10-inch pan to create one smallest layer and one second largest layer, and four more batches will be needed to complete remaining layers for those tiers. Three single recipes are enough to make three 10 3/4-by-8-inch layers. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom of a cake pan; line with parchment; butter parchment.
 
2. In a food processor, finely grind nuts.
 
3. Sift together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the nuts, and set aside.
 
4. In bowl of electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add vanilla. On low speed, alternate adding the milk and four-nut mixture, making sure to mix well between each addition.
 
5. In clean bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. In two additions, fold egg whites into batter. Spread batter into the prepared cake pan.
 
6. Bake cake 35 to 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool, then unmold. Store, well-wrapped in plastic, at room temperature.
 
For pistachio buttercream: (scale down for a smaller cake)
1. You will need six batches. In food processor, finely grind pistachios. Set aside.
 
2. In bowl of electric mixer, whip together egg yolks and sugar until well blended.
 
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, scald the milk. Gradually pour the milk into the egg mixture while the mixer is on medium-low speed. Return the mixture to saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes.
 
4. Transfer mixture to electric mixer; beat until room temperature. On medium, add butter a tablespoon at a time. (If mixture looks curdled, beat on medium-high until smooth.) Stir in reserved pistachios.
 
For marzipan: (scale down for a smaller cake)
1. You will need six to eight batches. Place almond paste and sugar in bowl of a food processor; pulse until mixture is combined and in very fine pieces. Add corn syrup, and pulse just until it comes together.
 
2. Transfer to work surface; knead 30 seconds. Wrap in plastic; store in airtight container at room temperature in a dry place.
 
To make marzipan nuts and leaves:
You will need one batch for nuts and leaves. To make nuts, divide batch of marzipan into three parts. Into one part, work green food paste, into another work brown food coloring. Leave third batch plain. Mold small pieces of brown and plain marzipan into nut shapes. Roll green marzipan out until 1/8 inch thick, cut with leaf cutters, and press large leaves in a leaf veiner. Wrap small leaves around hazelnut shapes; let nuts and leaves dry on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet overnight. If desired, brush with petal dust food coloring or cocoa powder to accent nuts with additional color.
 
To assemble cake:
1. Cut four concentric oval cake bases out of foam board to fit under four tiers. Place one large layer on largest cake base. On top of that, spread 1/4-inch-thick layer pistachio buttercream, place the middle layer on top, spread with another 1/4-inch-thick layer of buttercream, and place last layer on top. Ice with a thin, smooth coat of buttercream, and chill 40 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with remaining three tiers.
 
2. Between two pieces of plastic, roll five pounds marzipan into 25-by-30-inch oval. Center, drape, and smooth over largest tier. Cut excess at bottom with a pizza wheel. While marzipan is still soft, use a pastry crimper to crimp a decorative edge around top of cake. Repeat with remaining layers, rolling concentrically smaller ovals for each tier; only 2 1/2 pounds of marzipan will be needed to cover 10-inch oval. Reinforce each of bottom three tiers by inserting dowels under where next tier will lay, measured and cut flush with top of marzipan.
 
3. To stack tiers, dab a little buttercream on top of cake where next layer will rest. With a dry pastry brush, dust decorative border with the moss-green petal dust food coloring. Decorate tiers and top of the cake with marzipan nuts and leaves.