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Torta Mimosa (Italian Mimosa Cake) – A Light and Elegant Dessert
Torta Mimosa is a classic Italian cake, traditionally prepared to celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th. Inspired by the bright yellow mimosa flower, a symbol of respect and femininity, this elegant dessert is perfect for spring gatherings or any special occasion.This Italian Mimosa Cake consists of soft layers of Pan di Spagna (Italian sponge cake), filled with silky diplomat cream, and topped with crumbled sponge to mimic the delicate mimosa blossoms. Its light, airy texture and subtle sweetness make it a favorite for festive celebrations or as a refined dessert to end a meal.
Ingredients
FOR THE PAN DI SPAGNA
- IMPORTANT! You need to make TWO Pan di Spagna of the same size. So perform the indicated procedure twice for two cake pans. Doses for a springform cake pan of 22 cm (9 inch)
- 5 eggs
- 150 g granulated sugar - ¾ cup
- 75 g 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 flour - ⅓ cup
- ½ liter 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 - 5 tablespoons (Rum, Grand Marnier, Limoncello, Strega. I used Limoncello)
Instructions
Make the Pan di Spagna (Italian Sponge Cake)
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (338 F). Sift 75 g (½ cup) of "00" flour and 75 g (½ cup) of potato starch into a bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Place 5 eggs and 150g (¾ cup) 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.
- 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 4 egg yolks with 80 g (⅖ cup) of granulated sugar in a saucepan with a wooden spoon. Then add 40 g (⅓ cup) of all purpose flour (sifted) a little at a time. Continue stirring for about 5 minutes until the mixture is blended. Then set aside.
- Pour ½ liter (2 cups) of whole fresh milk into a saucepan. Flavor with ½ teaspoon of 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 250 ml (1 cup) of whipping cream into a bowl and begin to whip with an electric whisk. When it's almost whipped, add 30 g (3 ¾ tablespoons) of icing 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. Now you have your 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
- 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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.
Notes
Important! You need to make TWO Pan di Spagna of the same size. So perform the indicated procedure twice for two cake pans.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 508kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 10gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 243mgSodium: 83mgPotassium: 285mgFiber: 1gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 845IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 136mgIron: 2mg
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