Traditional Torta Diplomatica Recipe (Italian Diplomat Cake)

Torta Diplomatica is an Italian layered cake. Two rectangles of crumbly, golden puff pastry form the base and the top. Then there is a middle layer of fluffy pan di spagna. All is filled with the delicious Diplomat cream, that gives the cake its name.

A generous sprinkling of powdered sugar makes the Diplomatica even more elegant and delicious.

Italian Diplomat Cake is a true classic, a triumph of taste and elegance. Traditionally, it's made in a rectangular or square shape. This is probably to make it easier to cut. Which, given the presence of crispy puff pastry, is not so easy to do cleanly and precisely.Torta Diplomatica is almost always found in Italian pastry shops, also offered in small slices or in mignon format.

Contrary to what you might think, it's possible to make it easily at home with great satisfaction.

In fact, the Pan di Spagna and the Diplomat Cream are two fairly simple recipes to make. As for the puff pastry, you can safely use the packaged one, which will do just fine. Of course, you can try your hand at making the simplified puff pastry quick version using my recipe.

All you need to do is get organized in time and give the various preparations time to be ready and cold when you assemble them. Then two hours of cooling in the refrigerator will complete the job.

Diplomatic cake is a beautiful, really good and elegant, perfect for special occasions and important events.

If you are in the mood for this delicious Italian cake, you can follow my step-by-step recipe and you will see what an amazing homemade Torta Diplomatica you can bring to the table for your guests!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Storage
• Substitutes
• Variations
• History and Origins
• Recipe Card

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Ingredients

Prep Time: 50 Min | Cooling Time: about 2 hours | Cook Time: 45 min | Servings: 6-8

For the Pan di Spagna

These are the doses for a rectangular cake pan about 22 x 16 cm (9 inch x 7 inch)

• 3 whole eggs
• 90 g (~⅔ cup) of all purpose flour
• 90 g (~½ cup) of granulated sugar

For the Diplomat Cream

• 4 medium egg yolks
• 80 g (⅖ cup) of granulated sugar
• 40 g (⅓ cup) of all purpose flour
• ½ liter (2 cups) of whole fresh milk
• ½ lemon zest
• 250 ml (1 cup) of whipping cream
• 30 g (3 ¾ tablespoons) of powdered sugar

For the Base and for the Top

• One rectangular puff pastry sheet. Or you can make it with our quick puff pastry recipe.
• 1 cup of granulated sugar

To Wet the Pan di Spagna

• ½ cup of Alchermes liquor (read below, at the end of the recipe for the substitutes)

For Decoration

• plenty of powdered sugar

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Instructions

Make the Pan di Spagna

Step 1) - To make the diplomat cake, first make the pan di spagna. Beat the eggs with the sugar with an electric whisk for about 15-20 minutes. The mixture should be well frothy and triple its volume.

Step 2) - When the mixture is foamy, creamy and well combined, add the sifted flour a little at a time. Mix with a spatula using a rotating motion from the bottom to the top.

Step 3) - Pour the dough into a rectangular cake pan about 22x16 cm (9x7 inch) lined with parchment paper or greased with butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (338°F) for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

NOTE: For more details and tips on how to make the Italian sponge cake (Pan di Spagna), read my full recipe.

Make the Diplomat Cream

Step 1) - While the Italian sponge cake is baking, prepare the diplomat cream. In a small saucepan, heat the milk with the lemon zest, taking care not to boil. In another saucepan, quickly mix the egg yolks with the granulated sugar.

Step 2) - When the two ingredients are well mixed and just frothy, add the flour. Continue stirring until all the flour is incorporated. Finally, add the hot milk.

Step 3) - Turn on the heat and cook the cream for about 10 minutes, while stirring, until it starts to bubble and thicken. Turn off the heat and pour the cream into a cold container and let it cool completely with a plastic wrap in contact.

Step 4) - Mix the heavy cream with the powdered sugar. Whip the sweetened cream. Add it to the cooled pastry cream. The diplomat cream is ready!

NOTE: For more information, read the detailed recipe for Diplomat Cream.

Baking the Puff Pastry

Step 1) - Roll out the puff pastry on a sheet of baking paper and make two equal rectangles the size of the sponge cake. Prick the entire surface with the prongs of a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing up during baking.

Step 2) - Sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F). This will take about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven when both puff pastry sheets are well browned and caramelized. Allow to cool.

Make the Diplomat Cake

Now that you have all the ingredients (puff pastry, sponge cake, and Diplomatic Cream), all that remains is to assemble them to make the layers of the Italian Diplomat Cake.

Step 1) - Place a sheet of cooked puff pastry on a serving dish. Spread it with about half of the Diplomatic Cream. Level it well with a spatula.

Step 2) - Take the sponge cake and remove the dark part from the edges and the surface. Cut it with a sharp knife and place it on top of the diplomat cream.

Step 3) - Now sprinkle the entire surface of the pan di spagna with the Alchermes liqueur. Moisten the cake very well and generously all over the surface and also on the edge.

NOTE: I used pure Alchermes, as per Italian tradition. If you prefer a less alcoholic taste, you can dilute it with water. See the end of the recipe for the best substitutes.

Step 4) - Now cover the pan di spagna with the rest of the diplomat cream. Spread it well. Close the top of the diplomatic cake with the second sheet of puff pastry.

Step 5) - Finally, sprinkle with plenty of powdered sugar. Allow the cake to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.

YOU MUST ALSO TRY:

• Torta Mimosa recipe
• Zuccotto recipe
• Zuppa Inglese Recipe

Storage

The Torta Diplomatica can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Of course, the puff pastry will lose some of its crispness over time.

Freezing is not recommended.

Substitutes

Pan di Spagna Substitutes

LADYFINGERS: Instead of pan di spagna, many people prefer ladyfinger cookies (Savoiardi). Certainly this is a very convenient and also faster solution. Of course, the softness of Pan di Spagna is much better. But if you are short of time, this can be a good alternative. Soak the ladyfingers very well so that no crunchy bits remain.

PASTA BISCOTTO: It's a kind of sponge cake, but easier to make. It can also be used as an intermediate layer for diplomatic cakes. Pasta Biscotto is the dough suitable for making rolled cakes, such as Nutella Roll or Tiramisu Roll. It's a dough that requires a short baking time and is rather elastic and absorbent. It's definitely less fluffy than Pan di Spagna because it was created to be rolled.

Alchermes Liqueur Substitutes

Alchermes liqueur is widely used in central Italy, especially in Tuscany. It's used in many desserts such as Zuppa Inglese and Zuccotto.

Alchermes is a bright red liqueur with a unique flavor and aroma. It tends to have a floral aroma with a sweet and spicy flavor.

It's not always easy to find Alchermes outside of Italy. So here are some substitutes:

SYRUP: If you want to keep the beautiful red color, you can add a little strawberry or pomegranate syrup to rum or brandy.

RUM or LIMONCELLO: The Alchermes version is the most popular in Italy, but you can often find torta diplomatica with rum or limoncello. There is no exact rule for the liqueur; the important thing is that the pan di spagna is well soaked.
The amount of alcohol in the cake depends on your taste. You can use pure liqueur or dilute it with a syrup of water and sugar.

NON-ALCOHOLIC: Although the traditional recipe for Torta Diplomatica includes the alcoholic part, you can also opt for completely non-alcoholic solutions, especially if the cake is intended for children. For a non-alcoholic version, add strawberry or pomegranate syrup to a cup of milk and stir.

Variations

As we have seen, the Alchermes version is the most popular from north to south in Italy. But a "white" version, with sponge soaked in rum diluted with sugar-water syrup, is also very popular.

As with any traditional preparation, there are several regional versions of the diplomat cake.

In Sicily, for example, the mixture of whipped cream and pastry cream (crema diplomatica) is replaced by a ricotta-based cream.

In Naples, this type of cake is called "la zuppetta" and they also add black cherries in syrup to the layers of cream.

History and Origins

The origin of the Torta Diplomatica is uncertain. Sicilians and Campanians dispute the paternity of the recipe.

It was probably created in the 15th century by the Duke of Parma's chef as a gift to Francesco Sforza. This cake was offered to international aristocrats and diplomats.
Perhaps this is where its name comes from.

The name of the cake also refers to the "diplomatic cream" used to fill the cake, which is a mixture of Italian pastry cream (Crema Pasticcera) and whipped cream.

The term "diplomat-diplomatic" comes from the Greek word "diploma", which means "thing doubled".

Diplomatic cream, which combines pastry cream with whipped cream, is the main ingredient in the cake. But diplomatic cake is also a combination of sponge cake and puff pastry. So it's doubly diplomatic! Curious, isn't it?

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