First, make your browned Isigny butter! In a medium to large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the 3/4 cup of Isigny unsalted butter and stir constantly until melted and simmering. Continue to simmer, on medium heat, for at least a few minutes, until the popping and hissing sounds have completely subsided (this is the water in the butter burning off – you’ll know once it’s silent). Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter reaches a deep amber color and smells nutty or caramelly. The butter may foam, so keep stirring/lifting up spoonfuls of the butter to see the color. The browned milk solids will foam up in the center of the pan – once it does that- immediately take off the burner and let sit for a few minutes, then pour (scrape ALL of the brown bits – that's the flavor!) into a heat-proof small bowl and let it cool to room temp (it should be solid) - you can speed up the cooling process by popping the butter into the fridge fr 15 minutes but don’t leave it there or it will be too hard for the cake layers.

If using cake pan strips, remove from the water bowl now and fasten each one to your cake pans. Then scoop the cake batter evenly into each pan - you can use a measuring cup to ensure each pan receives the same amount of batter for even layers. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and let cool completely before turning out. Once the cakes are cool, I recommend turning them out, wrapping them in two layers of plastic wrap, returning them to the pans, and freezing all three cakes for at least two hours (this will make constructing the cake much easier).

Once your cakes are in the freezer, make your ermine buttercream. First, line a rimmed baking sheet (I use a cookie sheet) with parchment paper and set aside. Then, in a large saucepan, whisk together your 1 ¾ Cups white sugar, ¾ Cups of gluten free 1-1 flour, ¼ Cup of sweet rice flour, 1 Tbsp of cornstarch, and ½ tsp salt until combined, then turn on heat to medium and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes as the flour toasts (it will start to smell a bit nutty). Then, still whisking constantly, add in your whole milk and continue to whisk for 3-5 minutes as the mixture slowly thickens. Near the end, it will thicken very quickly into a pudding-like texture, so keep whisking! Once it’s the consistency of a thick/set pudding or pastry cream, remove from the heat and pour all of the mixture into the prepared baking sheet, using a spatula to spread evenly across the pan. Freeze this for 15 minutes or until the mixture is room temp/cool to the touch but not frozen.

Once the pudding mixture is cool, you can make the buttercream! In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the 2 cups of Isigny unsalted butter until lighter and fluffy (4-5 minutes to get very-white butter). Then, still beating, add 1 Tbsp of the cooled pudding mixture at a time, beating to incorporate in between each addition (it will look like it isn’t mixing in well, just keep beating it!). Once ALL of the pudding mixture has been added (this is a fairly long process), stop beating and use a sharp knife to slice open your vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape all of the tiny vanilla seeds out and add them to your buttercream. Finally, add the extra vanilla extract and beat the buttercream until smooth. Scoop a couple of cups of the buttercream into a piping bag with your choice of piping tip.

To make the fillings/topping:

Before constructing the cake, make whipped cream. In a medium bowl using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the ¾ Cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form, then add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Unwrap your frozen cake layers and place one on a cake tray/board/or plate. Using a palette knife or butter knife, spread a thin layer of the ermine buttercream on the layer, leaving an inch around the edge of the cake empty. Then spread ¼ cup of apricot jam on top of the buttercream layer. Then pipe a ring of ermine around the empty edge of the cake to form the structure for the filling layer. Fill the remaining space inside the ring with some of the whipped cream, then place the second cake layer on top of the completed filling layer. Repeat until you have placed the third and final cake on top. Decorate the top of the cake however you like - I recommend frosting with a thin layer of ermine, topping that with strained apricot jam, and more piped ermine buttercream around the edge. Then slice and serve!

To slice the cake easily, use a heated knife - either dip a long sharp knife in hot water (and wipe it dry), or heat it briefly over an open flame (lighter or a stovetop).

Keep the cake refrigerated until an hour before serving.