Mimosa Cake

This cake is traditionally made in Italy on March 8th to celebrate International Women’s Day. The shape and decoration is supposed to resemble a Mimosa flower which is always gifted to women on this day. This lovely cake is a simple sponge cake with a delicious Vanilla Diplomat Cream inside and out.

INGREDIENTS

SPONGE CAKE

1 ½ cups = 140g Unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup = 120g Cornstarch
• 1 ½ tsp = 6g Baking powder
• x8 = 430g Whole eggs
• 1 ¼ cups = 250g Sugar
• 2 tsp = 12g Vanilla paste
• ½ tsp = 2g Salt

DIPLOMAT CREAM

• 250g Whole milk
• 75g Sugar
• 75g Egg yolks
• 25g Cornstarch
• 12g Vanilla paste
• 22g Butter
• 3g Salt

• 7oz = 200g Heavy whipping cream
• 1 T Powdered sugar

CAKE SYRUP

• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup Grand Manier, Brandy or your favorite liquour
• 1 T sugar

Start whipping the eggs with the sugar and salt. Whip with the whisk attachment until they have almost tripled in volume and are light and airy.
Add the vanilla paste and whip just until incorporated.
Sift the flour, cornstarch and baking powder.
Carefully add half of the dry ingredients and fold them into the egg mixture. Then add the second half.
Make sure you scrape down the sides and bottom really well.
Separate 340g = 12oz into an 8” (W) x 3” (H) round cake pan. The rest you can place in a loaf pan or any other cake pan you have since this piece will be cut to decorate the outside.
Bake at 350ºF between 30-45min or until a knife comes out clean from the center.
Let the cakes cool completely.

To make the pastry cream, heat the milk in a stainless steal, thick bottom pot (preferably) until you see a bit of steam starting to come out, right before it simmers.
In the mean time, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Make sure you whisk them as soon as they come together, don’t let the sugar sit in with the yolks without mixing since the sugar might begin to cook the yolks.
Once the milk is hot (about 65-70ºC) turn it off and ladled in a bit of hot milk into the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix as soon as the milk touches the contents of the bowl. Add another ladle full and mix very well until incorporated.
Add the contents of the bowl back into the pot and heat again until you see it starts to simmer. At this point, lower the temperature and cook for about 1-2 minutes. A lot of people like to bring it to a boil but I prefer the delicate flavor it has before it comes to a boil, otherwise it tastes too much like eggs, at least for me.
Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. Add a little piece of plastic wrap to the top with a little window opened for the steam to escape.
Once it is a bit warmer than room temp but not hot, add the vanilla paste and the cold butter either by mixing with a whisk, an immersion blender or even in the blender for a super smooth result.
Honestly, you could add the cold butter as soon as you take it off the heat, but the previous method is simply just a step above in terms of quality. However, no one will know if you add it right away.
Place the pastry cream in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for at least 30-45 min.
Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar to medium peaks.
Fold in the whipped cream into the pastry cream. Place in the refrigerator.

Boil the ingredients for the syrup for 3-4 minutes.
Cut the round cake into three layers and the other cake into small cubes and set them aside.
Tap or brush some of the syrup on each layer of cake.
Add about 200g or 7oz of diplomat cream between each layer and the rest around the sides and top of the cake.
Add the little cubes all around the sides and top of the cake; they will stick to the diplomat cream covering the outside.
Refrigerate for an hour before cutting.
If you are leaving the cake in the refrigerator overnight, make sure you cover it with plastic wrap so the sponge cake doesn’t dry out.

Serve with some tea, coffee or a wine and Happy International Women’s Day!

Mimosa Cake

INGREDIENTS

SPONGE CAKE

DIPLOMAT CREAM = PASTRY CREAM + WHIPPED CREAM

ASSEMBLY

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