** BASE ---** Preheat oven to 450. Grease a jelly roll pan, line it with wax paper. Grease and flour the paper. Beat the yolks, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar and almonds in large bowl until triple in volume and almost white (about 5 minutes). Stir in vanilla. Sift cake flour over top and fold in with spatula. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until small peaks form. Gradually add the 1 T. sugar and beat until stiff, fold into egg batter. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 7 minutes until lightly browned and springy. Invert onto wire rack. Remove wax paper. Cut out round base for cake, using pan as cookie cutter. Using shaped cookie cutters cut shapes from remaining cake to use on top of cake. Place cake in bottom of springform pan. ** FILLING