Mimosa Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 75 minutes plus chilling time
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8-10
For cake:
- 110g/3.9ozs. plain all purpose flour
- 70g/2.4ozs. cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 250g/8.8ozs egg whites (around 8 eggs), room temperature
- 250g/8.8ozs. caster sugar, divided in 2
- 140g/4.9ozs egg yolks (around 6-8 eggs), room temperature
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- A few drops lemon flavouring
- Yellow food colouring
For filling:
- 2 eggs
- 150g/5ozs. caster or superfine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 55g/2ozs. cornflour/fine cornstarch
- 2 cups/500ml/1pint milk
- 250ml/8.8flozs cream
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
For assembly:
- 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs. limoncello
- 2 tablespoons icing or powdered sugar
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas4. Line 2x 20cm/8inch round cake tins on the base and sides. Sift the flour, cornflour and baking powder together and set aside. Place the eggs whites in a clean bowl of a mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk until you get soft peaks. Add half of the sugar and beat until glossy and firm peaks. Add the remaining sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla, lemon and yellow food colouring and whisk for 2-3 minutes until double in volume.
Step 2 -Sift the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 2-3 lots folding in well making sure that there are no streaks but also ensuring that you use a gentle fold motion so as not to deflate the mixture. There are often streaks of flour hiding in the mix so make sure that the flour is well incorporated. Divide this mixture into the two tins evenly and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the centre springs back when touched. Allow to cool and wrap until needed-I make this the day before I want to fill it.
Step 3 -The make the Crème Diplomat. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla well in a jug. In a saucepan heat up the milk until almost boiling. Add a ladleful of the hot milk into the jug to temper the eggs and then gradually pour the eggs in the jug into the saucepan of milk. Knock het down to low medium and stir with a flat bottomed spatula to avoid the sugar catching at the bottom. It will gradually thicken to become a custard. Cover the surface with cling film and cool completely. Whisk the cream until you get soft peaks and then fold it into the cold custard mixture (you may have to whisk the custard up a bit to loosen it).
Thermomix Directions for Crème Diplomat: Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla and cornflour in the bowl and set to 7 mins, 90C Speed #4. Cover the surface with cling film and cool completely. Clean the bowl and add the butterfly insert and add the cream. Set to 30 seconds speed #4 and whip until you get soft peaks. Then place the cold custard back into the bowl with the whipped cream and set to 30 seconds Speed #4.
Step 4 -Take both cakes and place them in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up on the outside. Cut one cake into thirds horizontally and then return to the freezer. With the other cake remove all of the brown from the outside of the cake with a serrated knife and them cut the cake in four horizontally. Then cut each layer into small cubes around 1cm/0.4inches. Set aside.
Step 5 -Mix the limoncello with the icing sugar. Remove the cake from the freezer and place the bottom layer on a serving plate. Brush with the sweetened limoncello and then spread with the lemon curd and then some crème diplomat. Repeat with the remaining layers. Then smother the cake with the remaining creme diplomat. Stick the cubes of cake to the outside of the cake - they will stick to the crème diplomat easily. Cover and refrigerate until serving.