White Chocolate Easter Cake

3/4 cup half and half
3 ounces white chocolate; chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted pistachio nuts
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 teaspoons unsalted butter; room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites
3 (1 pint baskets) strawberries

Buttercream Frosting
1 (7 ounce) package marzipan
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup
powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides.

Bring half and half to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla and stir until smooth; cool to room temperature.

Finely grind pistachios with flour and baking powder in processor.

Using electric mixer, beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in flour mixture alternately with white chocolate mixture in two additions each.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peak form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in two additions. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center come out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn out cakes onto racks; cool completely.

Hull and slice two baskets strawberries.

Place one cake layer on platter. Spread one cup buttercream over second cake layer and place cake, buttercream side down, atop berries. Press gently to adhere.

Spread remaining buttercream over top and sides of cake.

Chill cake until buttercream is firm, about one hour.

Knead marzipan in medium bowl to soften. Shape marzipan into disk. Dust work surface with two tablespoons powdered sugar. Roll out marzipan disk on powdered sugar to 9 1/2 inch round. Place on cake; press to adhere to top and gently press overhang onto sides of cake.

Beat whipping cream and remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar in large bowl to firm cakes. Transfer to large pastry bag fitted medium star tip. Pipe cream in side-by-side columns up sides of cake. Pipe border of rosettes around top edge of cake.

Refrigerate cake until cold, at least two hours.