Italian Cake Recipe

Italian Sponge Cake Layered with Rich Chocolate Pastry Cream

© Liliana Tommasini

Nov 3, 2008

Italian Cake Recipe Layered with Rich Chocolate Pastry Cream

Italian Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cake flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Butter a 9 inch spring form pan. Line pan with parchment paper.
2. Sift the flour and salt into a medium bowl.
3. Beat the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl on high speed until pale and very thick.
4. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients in to the egg yolk mixture.
5. Carefully fold in the beaten whites.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake until springy to the touch and the cake shrinks from the pan sides, 35-45 minutes.
8. Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes.
9. Loosen and remove the pan sides.
10. Invert the cake onto a rack.
11. Loosen and remove the pan bottom.
12. Carefully remove the paper.
13. Turn the cake top-side up and let cool completely before assembling.

Sweet Syrup

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 sliced orange
• 1sliced lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup rum (or liquor of your choice) optional

Preparation

1. Place all ingredients except the liquor in a medium sauce pan.
2. Let boil until liquid is reduced to a syrup consistency.
3. Strain into bowl.
4. Add liquor to syrup mixutre.
5. Let completely cool.
6. Add liquor if using.

Rich Chocolate Pastry Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups milk
• ½ cup milk
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the chocolate and cinnamon stick to a boil, whisking to melt the chocolate.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup milk and the cornstarch, stirring to dissolve the cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks and the sugar.
4. When the chocolate-milk mixture has come to a boil, remove the cinnamon stick and slowly pour the milk onto the yolk-sugar mixture, whisking constantly.
5. Return this mixture to the saucepan and whisk in the milk-cornstarch mixture.
6. Over medium heat, bring to a boil again, whisking all the while, and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens.
7. Add the vanilla, remove from the heat, and scrape into a bowl.
8. Cover the surface of the cream with plastic wrap to prevent it from forming a skin.
9. Chill before serving.

Assemble the cake:

• Slice the cake horizontally with a serrated knife to make two layers.
• Place the top layer on plate cut side up.
• Place the second layer on another plate.
• Pierce both layers with fork and sprinkle syrup on both layers.
• Let cake layers absorb syrup.
• Spread thick layer of rich chocolate pastry cream on second layer.
• Top with first layer, cut side down, on second layer.
• Refrigerate cake for 20 minutes before serving.
• Sprinkle top of cake with icing sugar or cocoa powder.

Cake tastes best when it served the same day it is made.

Berry Sponge Cake with Pastry Cream is another family favourite Italian Dessert.

Italian Cake

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