On the 8th of March International Women's Day is celebrated around the world.
What is most important about this day is that it is celebrated to remember the rights obtained by women in the last century and those still to be obtained.
I always love to follow traditions, so to celebrate this year's International Women’s Day I l baked a Mimosa Cake, a delicious dessert which resembles the mimosa flower, the symbol of the women’s day in Italy.
In Italy it is also customary to gift the mimosa flower.
Ingredients:
For the sponge cake:
4 Eggs
8 Egg Yolks
220g Caster Sugar
200g All-purpose Flour
40g Corn Starch
Lemon Zest of 1 Lemon
For the simple syrup
100ml Water
30g Sugar
3 tbsp. Cointreau Liqueur
For the filing
8g Leaf Gelatin
100g Egg Yolk
120g Caster Sugar
50g Corn Starch
500ml Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
Lemon Rind
50g Butter
200ml Heavy Cream
400g fresh cored pineapple chunks
Directions ( for the pastry cream )
Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare an 8 inch cake pan with parchment paper allowing sides of parchment paper along pan sides to extend from pan edge by at least 1" - this will allow cake to rise higher the pan edge, butter and flour. Set aside
For the pastry cream
Simmer milk with vanilla on medium heat until milk begins to simmer ( not boil ) in a bowl combine egg yolks and sugar until well blended. In a slow stream add hot milk to the egg yolks being very careful not to scramble the eggs. The slower you incorporate the hot milk the better. This is referred to as tempering eggs,
Once combined , return egg and milk mixture to the pan over low heat, add cornstarch, lemon zest, gelatin and butter, stirring until thickened , being very careful not to over heat mixture in order to maintain a smooth silky consistency remove from heat and set aside to cool. If you should see lumps in your pastry cream your can either put through a fine strainer or mix on high speed in the stand mixer to obtain a smooth silky consistency.
In the stand mixer whip the heavy cream. Gently fold to completely cooled pastry cream. Cover surface of pastry cream with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
For the sponge cake:
In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment cream eggs with sugar for at least 3 minutes, then add egg yolks and continue mixing on high speed until eggs and sugar has tripled in volume and is light, airy and fluffy.
Sift and combine flour and cornstarch then gently fold by hand into egg mixture along with lemon zest.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on a sheet lined with parchment for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan - then release from pan and cool completely.
Prepare simple syrup by combining water and sugar on stove top. Simmer until sugar dissolves add Cointreau set aside.
Assembling the cake:
Cut completely cooled cake into 4 even layers. Reserve the middle layer for the crumb topping.
On a cake plate or board begin your first layer by brushing the syrup mixture on to the cake surface then spread an even generous amount of pastry cream followed by a layer of pineapple. repeat for remaining layers.
Once filled, cover entire cake with remaining pastry cream
The remaining layer of cake that was reserved can be cut into small 1/2" cubes or totally broken down into a crumb mixture. Cover entire cake with cubed or crumbed cake.
Decorate the top of cake with assorted berries before serving
