Italian Rum Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• 5 egg yolks
• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups pastry flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind (optional)
• 3 tablespoons sugar or 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar (or confectioner's sugar)
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 ounces baking chocolate, grated
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dark rum (light rum may be used in place of dark) or 1 tablespoon rum flavoring (light rum may be used in place of dark)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 -2 tablespoon sugar

Recipe

• 1 italian sponge cake (pan di spagna):.
• 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 (or longer with a hand mixer) 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 (if using it).
• 5 beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into cake mixture.
• 6 butter and flour an 18-inch square (or a 9 x 13 x 3, or a 11 x 17 x 2-inch half-sheet) cake pan, (make sure pan size will fit your oven; you could also use three 8 or 9-inch layer pans).
• 7 pour cake batter into prepared pan(s) and bake at 375°f for 15 to 35 minutes (depending on your oven and the volume of your pans.), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 8 remove cake from oven and turn out (of pan) onto a cake rack to cool completely.
• 9 cake can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated overnight, or frozen (up to 3 weeks) for future use.
• 10 italian pastry cream (pasticciera cream): place sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind (if using it), 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 (with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming) until very thick (about 3-4 hours).
• 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 (with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming) until very thick (about 3-4 hours).
• 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 *note:if you prefer not to use rum syrup, you may sprinkle/brush cake layers with 1/3 cup rum which has been diluted with 1/4 cup water.
• 31 stabilized whipped cream - corn syrup method: in a large chilled bowl, with chilled beaters, beat cold cream until it just starts to thicken.
• 32 add corn syrup and vanilla from the side of the bowl, and beat until stiff peaks form.
• 33 stabilized whipped cream - gelatin method: prepare gelatin- soak plain gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes.
• 34 dissolve by placing it in a container over a small pot of simmering water, stir until dissolved.
• 35 set aside to cool before using.
• 36 in a large well-chilled bowl, with well chilled beaters, beat cream with electric mixer.
• 37 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.
• 38 whip the cream until barely stiff.
• 39 add melted and cooled gelatin all at once to cream during whipping.
• 40 stop whipping when cream forms soft peaks.
• 41 finish beating with whisk to adjust consistency to stiff peaks.
• 42 use/serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.
• 43 if peaks have softened during refrigeration, rewhip by hand using a whisk.
• 44 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.
• 45 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.
• 46 allow sprinkled/brushed rum to soak into the cake for about 5 minutes.
• 47 sprinkle/brush remaining sponge layers (on the cut side) evenly with remaining rum.
• 48 spread a layer of vanilla pasticciera cream on the first sponge layer.
• 49 top the vanilla cream layer with another layer of rum sprinkled sponge cake.
• 50 spread a layer of stabilized whipped cream on the second sponge layer.
• 51 top the whipped cream layer with another layer of rum sprinkled sponge cake.
• 52 spread a layer of chocolate pasticciera cream on the third sponge layer.
• 53 top the chocolate layer with the last layer of sponge cake.
• 54 frost the top sponge cake layer (and sides of cake, optional) with remaining stabilized whipped cream.
• 55 cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
• 56 refrigerate any leftovers.