italian rum cake

Italian rum cake is a showstopper of a cake consisting of three layers of rum syrup drenched Italian vanilla sponge cake (pan di spagna). Inside you’ll find a layer of vanilla pastry cream and another layer of chocolate pastry. If this isn’t enough, the assembled cake is covered in whipped cream and sliced almonds

Italian Rum Cake Recipe

eggs (room temperature)

white sugar (150 grams)

vanilla extract

lemon extract/anisette (optional)

cake flour (150 grams)

milk

lemon

sugar

flour

chocolate ((60 grams) chopped)

water

rum (more

almonds

heavy whipping cream

Maraschino cherries and chocolate

Preheat the oven to 340ºF/170ºC. Butter a 9 inch (23 cm) springform cake pan and then line completely with parchment paper. Sieve the flour and set aside.

Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at room temperature with the sugar at maximum speed for about 15 minutes until a frothy and firm cream is obtained. In the last minute or two of beating, add the vanilla extract and lemon extract (if using).

Once the eggs have been whipped, stop the stand mixer and add in the flour a little at a time. Fold the flour in with a large spatula, taking care to slowly incorporate it with gentle movements from the bottom up.

Pour the mixture into the prepared springform cake pan.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, absolutely avoiding opening the door during the first 20 minutes of cooking. To be sure that the sponge cake is completely cooked, test the toothpick by inserting it in the center of the cake until it touches the bottom of the cake pan. If it comes out dry, the oven can be switched off. Leave the pan in the oven off (but still hot) and with the door open for about 5 minutes (this will prevent the sponge cake from undergoing a thermal shock and deflating too much as it cools).

Remove the sponge cake from the pan and allow to cool completely on a cake rack before serving or storing. If well wrapped in cling film, the sponge cake lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen.

Italian sponge cake

Place 2 ½  cups of milk and strip of lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the milk you can see steam rising. Don&#39;t boil. Set aside.

In a bowl whisk egg yolks, sugar and flour until smooth. Whisk in the remaining ½  cup of milk. This mixture must be smooth.

Remove strip lemon zest from the heated milk and discard.

Slowly whisk hot milk into egg yolk mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Strain the mixture back to the saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Simmer for 1 minute to cook the flour.

Divide the Italian pastry cream into two heatproof bowls.

Stir the chopped chocolate thoroughly into one.

Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.

Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Before using, stir until smooth.

Crema pasticcera (Italian pastry cream)

Prepare the rum syrup by combining the water and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Stir the rum into the cooled simple syrup.

Set aside until needed. Refrigerate if making in advance.

Rum syrup

Preheat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC.

Spread the sliced almonds evenly on a baking sheet.

Place in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and smelling fragrant.

Set aside to cool. Place in a sealed container if making in advance.

Toasted almonds

Place the mixer bowl and whisk in the fridge or freezer to become really cold.

Pour the heavy whipping cream into the electric mixer bowl

Use a whisk attachment to begin whisking until the cream starts to thicken.

Gradually add the superfine sugar and vanilla extract.

Whip until firm peaks form being careful not to overwhip.

Refrigerate until needed

Whipped cream frosting

Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the pan di spagna into three even layers.

Place one layer of cake on a serving plate then spoon rum syrup over to moisten.

Spread the vanilla pastry cream over the moistened bottom layer then top with another cake layer.

Press the cake gently but firmly so that it sticks to the vanilla pastry cream.

Moisten the second cake layer well with rum syrup then spread with chocolate pastry cream.

Top with the final layer of cake, press it on well and moisten with the remaining rum syrup.

If the cake seems unstable at this stage, refrigerate for an hour or place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

Using ¾ of the whipped cream frosting, spread over the top and sides of the Italian rum cake. Press sliced almonds onto the sides of the cake and use the remaining ¼ of the whipped cream frosting to pipe rosettes around the top edge.

Decorate with maraschino cherries and flakes of chocolate.

Assembing and decorating

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1667459985/fldwofd4bzjon7lhi2xg.mp4

Italian Rum Cake is so moist, delicious and creamy that everyone will seriously want seconds! This fabulous rum soaked layer cake is a great dessert for any festive occasion. If you need a showstopper, look no further. This Italian rum cake recipe is the one for you!

Makes an 8-inch, three layer vanilla sponge cake sprinkled with rum syrup then filled with vanilla and chocolate pastry cream, topped with bakery-style buttercream and decorated with crushed peanuts - does it get any better?!?

Italian Rum Cake

all-purpose flour

salt

eggs

sugar (, divided)

cream of tartar

water (, cold)

heavy cream

gelatin

cornstarch

cocoa powder

rum extract

peanuts OR sliced almonds (, lightly salted)

inch cake board ((optional))

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in center of oven

Grease bottom only of cake pans with butter and flour/cake spray and for added measure, line bottom of pans with parchment paper (DO NOT grease the sides of the pan or your spongecake may not rise properly)

Combine flour with salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In a standing mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy (not stiff) and then add the cream of tartar and continue mixing until the whites become opaque

Add 1/2 cup sugar slowly to the side of the bowl and increase the speed of the mixer until soft but not stiff peaks form. Scrape the contents to another bowl and set aside

Using the same bowl, which is now empty, add the egg yolks and whip at high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and the mixture &quot;ribbons&quot; when the beaters are raised

Slowly add the remaining sugar (ie, 1/2 cup), cold water, and vanilla into the egg yolks and mix until combined on low speed

Sift the flour onto the egg yolks in two additions, and stir gently with large spatula to combine.

Gently but thoroughly fold in the whipped egg whites

Transfer mixture to prepared pans and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes until cooked through; using 3 pans, I only needed 20 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool for about 10 minutes in the pans and then carefully remove the cakes from the pan (see next step).

To prevent tearing or crumbling around the edges, I carefully use a knife to loosen the edges with a gentle up-and-down sawing motion (not gliding the knife around), ensuring a smooth release of the cake without damaging its sides.

After fully cooled, wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

How to make the sponge cake:

Note that the heavy cream gets whipped separately and is added to the finished pastry cream AFTER it has been cooked and cooled. I do this just before I&#039;m getting ready to assemble the cake.

In a small bowl, add egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk to blend and set aside

In a medium saucepan, add milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla OR chocolate (depending on if you are making the chocolate or the vanilla cream [you will repeat all of these steps to make the other flavor)Heat until small bubbles form (scalded) and remove from heat.

Temper eggs by adding small amounts (about 1/2 cup/4 ounces) of the hot milk mixture, a little at a time, while whisking very QUICKLY to prevent the eggs from curdling.

After all of the milk mixture has been added into the eggs/cornstarch, return everything to the saucepan and cook over medium heat and stir constantly until thickened. The mixture thickens quickly (depending on how hight heat is)!! Stir fast and furious with whisk!Continue to heat and stir until it has stopped thickening.

Cool the pastry cream and refrigerate until ready to use (this is when you do the last step below, adding the whipped cream). TIP: when folding in the whipped cream during next step, you must rewhip the pastry cream if it has set.

When ready to assemble the cake, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (overbeating will cause it to turn to butter) and then fold together with cooled pastry cream (rewhip the pastry cream first if it has been refrigerated and/or it has firmed up a lot).

Repeat all these steps for other flavor (chocolate or vanilla).

How to make the pastry cream:

Add gelatin and water to a small saucepan and heat gently just until the gelatin dissolves. Do not let the mixture set. If the gelatin cools too much you will have lumps or threads of gelatin in your whipped cream.

Whip the cream and sugar using a standing mixer until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Add the gelatin mixture slowly and then increase speed to high and continue whipping until the frosting is firm.

How to make stabilized whipped cream

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and then cool or store in refrigerator.

How to make the rum syrup:

Using a teaspoon or small squeeze bottle, distribute the rum syrup evenly over each of the three cake layers.

Place one cake layer on the bottom of an 8- or 10-inch cake board or cake dish (you may spread some frosting between the dish and bottom layer to prevent the cake from shifting)

Spread all of the vanilla pastry cream on top on the bottom layer and then top with another layer of sponge cake. Spread all of the chocolate pastry cream on top of middle layer and then top with final layer of sponge cake

Frost cake, and add generous amount of crushed peanuts or sliced almonds to the sides of the cake. (if you have refrigerated the frosting (made ahead) you may have to rewhip it.

Decorate the top if desired and refrigerate until serving.

How to assemble the cake:

That makes sense Marie: the cream filling should be sturdy and not runny to help hold up the cake. I'll use the electric hand mixer next time to re-whip the pastry cream once cooled.
I glanced through the peach cookies recipe, one of my favorite desserts also, and you explain everything very thoroughly. I can't wait to make these my next project.

This recipe and instructions taught me, a bricklayer, how to make refined cakes. Here in Hamilton, Ontario, there are three pastry shops that make traditional Italian rum cakes similar to your recipe, however, these store-bought cakes contain much more sugar, which is not to our liking in this family. With regards to the vanilla and chocolate creams, according to your instructions, next day, after refrigeration, they turn quite stiff. Am I doing something wrong? At first I was softening the creams by working them with a fork, and adding the specified whipped cream, but too strenuous by hand. So, now I'm using a food processor and adding double the whipped cream to soften like the store-bought cakes. With each cream, I've even tried using one less tablespoon of corn starch, but same results, stiff cream. Unless this is normally expected. Thank you, Tony

Our favorite dessert. My daughter is gluten intolerant and I would love to make this for her birthday. When making baked goods for her I use King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour. I have made regular rum cakes and quick breads with it and have had great success. I've never made sponge and wonder how the GF flour would affect the lightness and texture. ❓

This looks so delicious and similar to my mom's recipe.  Just a question. I am pressed for time - is it possible to use a boxed pudding and fold in whipped cream to make more of a custard?  Thx

Just want to say what a great recipe! Made this cake last week for my mom's 88th birthday and got rave reviews from mom ---who is a retired professional baker.  
This cake reminded us of the torte we would get from Ninni's Bakery in Akron,OH for all of our special occasions. 
Thank you, and I look forward to making cake again.  Loved the whipped cream icing and it was so easy to use!

I did not bake the cake yet but gave you 5 stars bc I have baked enough to know this is a good if not great recipe!! Also the appearance is beautiful.Will be making it soon.BTW I live here in Pittsburgh and we always use almonds this is the first time I have seen it decorated with peanuts.

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The most viewed italian rum cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Italian Rum Cake Recipe

Italian Rum Cake

The most viewed italian rum cake recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine