Gateau Russe aux Noix

Mix almond powder, icing sugar, and flour together. Beat whites to froth, add sugar, beat to firm peak. Incorperate powder into whites. Add vanilla now if using extract, if using powdered, add with almond powder. Pour into chemisier'd round pan, 8 inches or so, and bake at 375-390 till it's done. Boil sugar and water together. While it's boiling, beat the yolks over a double boiler untill they are light and fluffy. When the syrup reaches soft ball, pour into yolks and continue beating untill it is cool or it reaches ribbon stage (creme will form a ribbon that will stay on the surface for a while before sinking). Beat the butter till it's the same consistancy as the creme. Mix the two together and add the coffee extract. Boil the sugar and water for syrup, add rum. Boil the sugar and water for caramell, take it to the point where it just starts to change color. Remove, dunk the nuts in and let cool. You will have to crush the chopped walnuts, as they will now be a big sticky mess. Cut the cake in half, spread with syrup, add a layer of butter cream, sprinkle with chopped nuts, spread the top part with syrup, place on top of cake, and cover with butter cream. Decorate with butter cream rosettes and walnut halves.