Italian Rum Cake

Description

Italian rum cake is a delicious 3 or 4 layer cake, which is a tradition for birthdays/special occasions in many italian families. There are 3 basic parts to the cake; sponge cake layers, pasticciera cream (filling) and (stabilized) whipped cream. Below are the recipes for all three parts. If you make it with 3 layers, omit the whipped cream layer. The sponge cake and pasticciera creams may be made a day ahead. The whipped cream should be whipped just before assembling the cake. Prep/cook times do not include the 3-4 hour chilling time for the pasticciera cream.

Please note: this is an egg leavened cake! The egg yolks and whites must be beaten to the correct volume and consistency or the recipe will not work. Also, the other ingredients must be folded in (beaten whites folded into the yolk/sugar mixture not the other way around) in the order given in the directions or the cake will not turn out. The finished layers will be thin depending on the size of your pan. The smaller the pan, the thicker the layers and the longer the baking time needed.

If you are expecting this cake to turn out like a "génoise or american sponge cake," you will be disappointed as this is not a génoise sponge recipe.

Ingredients

• Egg Yolks
• Egg Whites
• Sugar
• Pastry Flour
• Vanilla
• Fresh Lemon Rind
• Flour
• Whole Milk
• Butter
• Baking Chocolate
• Dark Rum
• Water
• Heavy Cream
• Light Corn Syrup
• Cold Water
• Unflavored Gelatin

Instructions

1. Italian sponge cake :
2. Place egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until very thick and lemon colored (mixture should be at least doubled in volume, and thick like frosting – it can take up to 15 minutes of beating to reach the proper volume / texture)
3. Add flour, a little at a time, gently folding it in until well blended
4. Gently fold in vanilla and lemon rind
5. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into cake mixture
6. Butter and flour an 18-inch square cake pan,
7. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake at 375f for 15 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
8. Remove cake from oven and turn out onto a cake rack to cool completely
9. Cake can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated overnight, or frozen for future use
10. Italian pastry cream : place sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind, and vanilla in a sauce pan and mix together well
11. In a separate sauce pan, scald milk
12. Very slowly pour milk over egg yolk mixture, in a thin stream, beating constantly with rotary beater
13. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches the boiling point
14. Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly
15. Remove pan from heat, add butter and mix well
16. Pour into bowl and let cool, stir occasionally to prevent skin from forming over the top
17. If using as a filling, chill until very thick
18. Chocolate pasticciera cream: place sugar, egg yolks flour, and vanilla in a sauce pan and mix together well
19. In a separate sauce pan, scald milk
20. Very slowly pour milk over egg yolk mixture, in a thin stream, beating constantly with rotary beater
21. Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches the boiling point
22. Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly
23. Add chocolate and while stirring, cook 1 minute longer
24. Remove pan from heat, add butter and mix well
25. Pour into bowl and let cool, stir occasionally to prevent skin from forming over the top
26. If using as a filling, chill until very thick
27. Rum syrup: mix together the water, sugar, and rum in a small pot
28. Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar is dissolved
29. Remove from the heat and cool before using
30. Stabilized whipped cream – corn syrup method: in a large chilled bowl, with chilled beaters, beat cold cream until it just starts to thicken
31. Add corn syrup and vanilla from the side of the bowl, and beat until stiff peaks form
32. Stabilized whipped cream – gelatin method: prepare gelatin- soak plain gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes
33. Dissolve by placing it in a container over a small pot of simmering water, stir until dissolved
34. Set aside to cool before using
35. In a large well-chilled bowl, with well chilled beaters, beat cream with electric mixer
36. Just before it becomes soft and billowy, slowly add the sugar and vanilla to the whipped cream at the sides of the bowl, continue to whip as you do
37. Whip the cream until barely stiff
38. Add melted and cooled gelatin all at once to cream during whipping
39. Stop whipping when cream forms soft peaks
40. Finish beating with whisk to adjust consistency to stiff peaks
41. Use / serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed
42. If peaks have softened during refrigeration, rewhip by hand using a whisk
43. Rum cake assembly instructions: slice sponge cake in half to form two 9 x 18-inch layers using a long, thin bladed knife, cut / split each layer in half lengthwise making four thin 9 x 18-inch layers
44. Place bottom sponge layer on platter cut side up, sprinkle / brush with about 1 / 4 of the rum, be careful not to get the cake too wet, or layers will become soggy
45. Allow sprinkled / brushed rum to soak into the cake for about 5 minutes
46. Sprinkle / brush remaining sponge layers evenly with remaining rum
47. Spread a layer of vanilla pasticciera cream on the first sponge layer
48. Top the vanilla cream layer with another layer of rum sprinkled sponge cake
49. Spread a layer of stabilized whipped cream on the second sponge layer
50. Top the whipped cream layer with another layer of rum sprinkled sponge cake
51. Spread a layer of chocolate pasticciera cream on the third sponge layer
52. Top the chocolate layer with the last layer of sponge cake
53. Frost the top sponge cake layer with remaining stabilized whipped cream
54. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving
55. Refrigerate any leftovers