Italian Mimosa Cake is a classic Italian dessert traditionally prepared to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th. Inspired by the bright yellow mimosa flower, a symbol of respect and femininity in Italy, this elegant cake is especially popular in early spring and is often served for festive gatherings or special occasions.
This traditional mimosa cake recipe is made with soft layers of Pan di Spagna (Italian sponge cake), filled with silky diplomat cream, and finished with delicate cubes or crumbs of sponge cake that resemble the small blossoms of the mimosa flower.
Although the cake looks impressive, making Torta Mimosa at home is quite manageable if you follow my step by step recipe.
Once assembled, the cake is completely covered with small pieces of sponge cake, creating its signature soft yellow appearance. For the best result, refrigerate the cake for at least two hours before serving so the cream can set and the flavors blend perfectly.
Follow this Italian Mimosa Cake recipe and bring one of Italy’s most beautiful and festive desserts to your table.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Prep Time: 40 Min | Cook Time: 50 Min | Cooling Time: at least 2 Hour | Servings: 8
For the Pan di Spagna
Important! You need to make two Pan di Spagna of the same size. Repeat the procedure twice using two cake pans.
Doses for a 22 cm (9 inch) springform cake pan
- 5 medium eggs
- 150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 75 g (½ cup) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 75 g (½ cup) potato starch
- 3-4 drops vanilla essence or the zest of ½ lemon (optional)
To Make Diplomat Cream
- 4 medium egg yolks
- 80 g (⅖ cup) granulated sugar
- 40 g (⅓ cup) Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean or the zest of ½ lemon
- 250 ml (1 cup) heavy whipping cream
- 30 g (3 ¾ tablespoons) powdered sugar
For the Syrup
- 150 g (10 tablespoons) water
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 75 g (5 tablespoons) liqueur (Rum, Grand Marnier, Limoncello, or Strega. I used Limoncello)
Instructions
Make the Pan di Spagna (Italian Sponge Cake)
IMPORTANT! You have to make two of them! THE FIRST sponge cake to make the layers and THE SECOND crumbled sponge cake to look like the mimosa flower.
Step 1) - First, preheat the oven to 170°C (338°F). Sift the flour and the potato starch into a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Step 2) - Place the eggs and the granulated sugar in a stand mixer. Whisk on medium speed (if you have a 1-10 speed electric mixer, the correct speed is 6). Beat the eggs with the sugar for 15 to 20 minutes, not less, until the mixture is light and frothy and has doubled in volume.
Step 3) - When eggs and sugar are ready, puffy and fluffy, turn off the mixer. Add the flours a little at a time to the creamed eggs and sugar mixture. Mix slowly, RIGOROUSLY BY HAND making movements from the bottom to the top, so as not to disassemble the mixture.
Step 4) - Pour the mixture into the cake pan lined with parchment paper and use a spatula to level the surface. DO NOT tap the cake pan on a flat surface to level it or it will fall apart.
Step 5) - Bake the Pan di Spagna for about 50 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN FOR THE FIRST 40 MINUTES! Then you can check the baking with a toothpick. Poke the center of the cake with a toothpick: if it comes out dry, it means it's cooked. Once cooked, remove the sponge cake from the oven. Leave it in the cake pan for about 15 minutes before unmolding. Then let the Spagna sponge cake cool completely before using it.
For more information, curiosities, tips and tricks read Pan di Spagna (Traditional Italian Sponge Cake).
Make the Diplomat Cream
Step 1) - Beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar in a saucepan with a wooden spoon. Then add the sifted flour a little at a time. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes until the mixture is blended. Then set aside.
Step 3) - Pour the milk into a saucepan. Flavor with vanilla bean or lemon zest. Then put it on the heat and bring it to a boil. When the milk comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and slowly pour it into the mixture of sugar, eggs and flour. It's very important to keep stirring.
Step 4) -Return the saucepan to a very low heat and continue to stir. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes until the cream begins to thicken. It's very important that the cream DOES NOT BOIL. When the cream is well thickened, pour it immediately into a cold container and set aside to cool.
NOTE: It's very important to remove the cream from the hot saucepan as soon as possible to prevent it from continuing to cook. While cooling, cover the cream with plastic wrap. Keep it in contact with the cream. This precaution will prevent the formation of a skin on the surface of the cream.
Step 5) - Now pour the heavy whipping cream into a bowl and begin to whip with an electric whisk. When it's almost whipped, add the powdered sugar and finish whipping. The cream should be smooth, shiny and not too stiff.
Step 6) - Finally combine the two creams, adding one to the other a little at a time and mixing gently with a spatula or hand whisk. You should get a smooth cream with a soft but consistent texture.
For more information and tips read the full recipe for Diplomat Cream.
Make the Syrup
Pour the water, liqueur of your choice and sugar into a saucepan (I used Limoncello). Then heat the syrup while stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the syrup into a cold bowl and allow to cool completely.
Assemble the Mimosa Cake
You now have all the ingredients to make a mimosa cake: sponge cake, diplomatic cream, and alcohol syrup. I recommend not to rush. It's very important that all parts are well chilled.
Step 1) - Let's start with the sponge cakes. Divide the first one into three slices. Slice it horizontally. Use a long knife with a thin, sharp blade. Try to make the slices as equal as possible.
Step 2) - Place the first layer of sponge on a serving dish and brush the surface with the now cold syrup. Moisten the sponge very well, evenly and generously.
Spread the first layer of diplomatic cream on top of the cake. If you like, you can use a pastry bag. This will help you spread the cream more evenly. Or use a spoon and try to spread the cream well.
Step 3) - Cover with the second slice, moisten it in the same way with syrup and continue with more cream.
Step 4) - Finish with the last slice. Coat the cake with the rest of the cream. Use a spatula to smooth the surface and distribute the cream evenly.
Step 5) - Take the second sponge cake and remove the dark part of the surface.
PLEASE NOTE: This step is purely for aesthetic reasons. Removing the dark part will result in an all yellow mimosa cake with no dark spots.
Cut the cake into rectangles and then into small cubes. Collect the cubes in a bowl and set aside.
Step 6) - Spread the sponge cubes all over the surface until the whole cake is well covered. Both on the top and on the sides. Make sure there are no gaps between the cubes. Press lightly with your hands so that the cubes adhere well to the diplomatic cream.
The mimosa cake is done! Carefully cover with plastic wrap. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
PLEASE NOTE: Refrigeration is necessary. This will compact the mimosa cake and make it easier to cut into slices without the risk of breaking them.
When serving, if you like, you can dust your Mimosa cake with powdered sugar or even garnish it with raspberries or strawberries.
Storage
You can store the mimosa cake in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
You can also freeze it and use it within a month. Cut the cake into slices before freezing.
Variations and Tips
In this Italian Mimosa Cake recipe, the soaking syrup plays a key role, just as it does in most layer cakes. The sponge cake should be well soaked so the dessert stays soft, moist, and almost melts in your mouth together with the diplomat cream.
If the sponge layers are not soaked properly, the cake may turn out dry and the layers may separate when sliced. A well-soaked sponge keeps the cake moist and helps the layers hold together when serving.
Syrup Substitutes
If you prefer to avoid alcohol, or if you are preparing the cake for children, you can easily replace the liqueur with a non-alcoholic syrup made with fruit juice.
Pineapple juice is often used because its delicate sweetness pairs well with Mimosa Cake. You can also prepare a syrup with orange juice and sugar, or simply use water, sugar, and a little vanilla extract.
When using alcohol, rum is the most traditional choice, but Strega liqueur and Grand Marnier also work very well.
For this recipe I chose Limoncello, which gives the cake a fresh citrus aroma. I also added a little lemon zest to the cream to enhance the flavor.
When choosing a syrup or liqueur, remember that appearance matters as much as flavor. Use a clear liquid that will not alter the delicate yellow color that gives Italian Mimosa Cake its characteristic look.
Decoration Ideas
To decorate the cake, you can simply add a light dusting of powdered sugar.
For a more elegant presentation, decorate the top with strawberries, raspberries, or other berries. Edible flowers and a few mint leaves also work beautifully and give the cake a fresh spring appearance.
If your eggs are pale and you want to enhance the typical mimosa flower color, you can add half a teaspoon of turmeric to the sponge batter and a small pinch to the cream. This will intensify the yellow color without changing the flavor.
Helpful Tips
For the best Torta Mimosa result, besides preparing the Pan di Spagna and diplomat cream correctly, two details are especially important.
First, make sure that all the components are well chilled before assembling the cake: the sponge cake, the cream, and the syrup.
Second, once assembled, let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or even better overnight. This resting time allows the flavors to blend and the cake to set properly.
A well-chilled cake will be easier to slice and will keep its shape. For perfectly clean slices, you can also place the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes before cutting.
More Italian Cake Recipes To Try
Origins of Italian Mimosa Cake
Adelmo Renzi, a pastry chef from Rieti, invented the mimosa cake in 1950.
After spending many years in Rome, he returned to Rieti to open the famous Teatro Flavio restaurant and pastry shop, where patrons enjoyed his delicacies, including the mimosa cake, during intermissions.
In and around Rieti, the mimosa cake became very popular, but true fame came when Renzi brought the mimosa cake to Sanremo for a pastry competition in 1960.
What could be better than a cake dedicated to a flower in the city of flowers? The cake won the competition and the Ligurian city chose it as its official dessert.
For this reason, many claim that Sanremo is the birthplace of the Torta Mimosa.
FAQ
Italian Mimosa Cake, is a traditional Italian dessert made with layers of Pan di Spagna (Italian sponge cake) filled with diplomat cream. The cake is covered with small cubes or crumbs of sponge cake that resemble the yellow blossoms of the mimosa flower, which gives the dessert its name.
In Italy, Torta Mimosa is traditionally prepared for International Women's Day on March 8th. The cake is inspired by the mimosa flower, which became the symbol of the celebration in Italy after World War II. Its bright yellow color represents strength, respect, and appreciation for women.
The filling used in Italian Mimosa Cake is usually diplomat cream, a light and silky mixture of pastry cream and whipped cream. This cream gives the cake its delicate texture and balanced sweetness, making it perfect for a soft sponge cake dessert like Torta Mimosa.
Recipe Card
Italian Mimosa Cake Recipe (Torta Mimosa)
Ingredients
FOR THE PAN DI SPAGNA
- Important! You need to make two Pan di Spagna of the same size. Repeat the procedure twice using two cake pans.
- 5 medium eggs
- 150 g granulated sugar - ¾ cup
- 75 g Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour - ½ cup
- 75 g potato starch - ½ cup
- 4 drops vanilla essence or the zest of ½ lemon - optional
FOR THE DIPLOMAT CREAM
- 4 egg yolks
- 80 g granulated sugar - ⅖ cup
- 40 g Italian 00 flour or all-purpose flour - ⅓ cup
- 500 ml whole milk - 2 cups
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean or the zest of ½ lemon
- 250 ml whipping cream - 1 cup
- 30 g powdered sugar - 3 ¾ tablespoons
FOR THE SYRUP
- 150 g water - 10 tablespoons
- 100 g granulated sugar - ½ cup
- 75 g liqueur (Rum, Grand Marnier, Limoncello, or Strega. I used Limoncello) - 5 tablespoons
Instructions
Make the Pan di Spagna (Italian Sponge Cake)
- Sift the flour and the potato starch into a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Place the eggs and the granulated sugar in a stand mixer. Whisk on medium speed. Beat the eggs with the sugar for 15 to 20 minutes, not less, until the mixture is light and frothy and has doubled in volume.
- When eggs and sugar are ready, puffy and fluffy, turn off the mixer. Add the flours a little at a time to the creamed eggs and sugar mixture. Mix slowly, RIGOROUSLY BY HAND making movements from the bottom to the top, so as not to disassemble the mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the cake pan lined with parchment paper and use a spatula to level the surface. DO NOT tap the cake pan on a flat surface to level it or it will fall apart.
- Bake the Pan di Spagna in a preheated oven at 170°C (338°F) for about 50 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN FOR THE FIRST 40 MINUTES! Then you can check the baking with a toothpick. Poke the center of the cake with a toothpick: if it comes out dry, it means it's cooked. Once cooked, remove the sponge cake from the oven. Leave it in the cake pan for about 15 minutes before unmolding. Then let the Spagna sponge cake cool completely before using it.
Make the Diplomat Cream
- Beat the egg yolks with the granulated sugar in a saucepan with a wooden spoon. Then add the sifted flour a little at a time. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes until the mixture is blended. Then set aside.
- Pour the milk into a saucepan. Flavor vanilla bean or zest of half lemon. Then put it on the heat and bring it to a boil. When the milk comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and slowly pour it into the mixture of sugar, eggs and flour. It's very important to keep stirring.
- Return the saucepan to a very low heat and continue to stir. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes until the cream begins to thicken. It's very important that the cream DOES NOT BOIL. When the cream is well thickened, pour it immediately into a cold container and set aside to cool.
- Now pour the whipping cream into a bowl and begin to whip with an electric whisk. When it's almost whipped, add the powdered sugar and finish whipping. The cream should be smooth, shiny and not too stiff.
- Finally combine the two creams, adding one to the other a little at a time and mixing gently with a spatula or hand whisk. You should get a smooth cream with a soft but consistent texture.
Make the Syrup
- Pour the water, liqueur of your choice and sugar into a saucepan (I used Limoncello). Then heat the syrup while stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour the syrup into a cold bowl and allow to cool completely.
Assemble the Mimosa Cake
- Divide the first pan di spagna into three slices. Slice it horizontally. Use a long knife with a thin, sharp blade. Try to make the slices as equal as possible.
- Place the first layer of sponge on a serving dish and brush the surface with the now cold syrup. Moisten the sponge very well, evenly and generously.
- Spread the first layer of diplomatic cream on top of the cake. If you like, you can use a pastry bag. This will help you spread the cream more evenly. Or use a spoon and try to spread the cream well.
- Cover with the second slice, moisten it in the same way with syrup and continue with more cream.
- Finish with the last slice. Coat the cake with the rest of the cream. Use a spatula to smooth the surface and distribute the cream evenly.
- Take the second sponge cake and remove the dark part of the surface. Cut the cake into rectangles and then into small cubes. Collect the cubes in a bowl and set aside.
- Spread the sponge cubes all over the surface until the whole cake is well covered. Both on the top and on the sides. Make sure there are no gaps between the cubes. Press lightly with your hands so that the cubes adhere well to the diplomatic cream.
- Carefully cover with plastic wrap. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.PLEASE NOTE: Refrigeration is necessary. This will compact the mimosa cake and make it easier to cut into slices without the risk of breaking them.
Martha says
I love all your recipes ❤️
Sabrina says
What a gorgeous cake! Thanks so much for sharing. It is very interesting to learn about this cake!
Silvana Nava says
Thank you for your comment!
Gino says
How do you make the Mimosa cake with an oval shape as shown in the photo?
Can i use the potato starch in the store mashed potato mixes? or corn starch?
gino
Silvana Nava says
Hi Gino,
You achieve the dome shape when you cover the cake with cream and pieces of sponge cake. There’s no need for a special mold.
Regarding potato starch, the type found in commercial mashed potato mixes is not the same, as it usually contains other ingredients. It’s best to use pure potato starch, but cornstarch works just as well. Rice flour is also a good alternative.
Hope this helps!
Have a great day!