Recipe: Rum Torte with Pastry Cream (La Torta Farcita3-tier cake, Italian)

RUM TORTE WITH PASTRY CREAM
(LA TORTA FARCITA)

"Special occasions like birthdays, graduations, or anniversaries are the perfect excuse to prepare this great cake. It can be made ahead, placed in the freezer well wrapped and then on the day of the event can be decorated and served. My mother prepared this cake for all of my birthday parties. No wonder they were so successful!"

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar, divided use
8 large eggs at room temperature, separated
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or powder
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
FOR ASSEMBLING THE TORTE:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
Rum Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Pastry Cream (recipe follows)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate shaved
Butter Cream (recipe follows)
21 ounces Odense marzipan
1/4 cup each cornstarch and powdered sugar

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Put your rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or line with circles of parchment paper 3 round baking pans (one 6-inches, one 8-inches and one 10-inches).

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, work the butter until creamy, slowly adding 1 cup of the sugar, stopping the mixer once in a while to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is pale yellow and ribbons form. Add the 2 tablespoons water, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites and salt for 2 minutes. Slowly add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold one-third of the whites into the egg-yolk mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions. Sift the flour and baking soda into the cake batter, then gently fold it in. Divide the cake batter between the three prepared pans, smooth the surfaces.

Bake for 25 minutes the 6-inch cake, 30 minutes for the 8-inch cake, and 35 minutes the 10-inch cake, or until the cake springs back when pressed. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans invert them on top of the pans. Remove the parchment paper and cool thoroughly before continuing the torte.

TO ASSEMBLE THE TORTE:
It is now time to assemble the cake with its decorations. Put the melted chocolates in a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip.

Cut each cake layer in half and brush both sides with rum syrup. Cover each bottom half with cooled pastry cream topped with shaved chocolate.

Cover each bottom half with a top half. Put each cake on a cardboard cake base. Trim the cake tops and sides as necessary. Cover each cake with prepared butter cream, using a metal spatula. Put the cakes in the refrigerator to chill. Place extra butter cream in a pastry bag with star tip. Reserve.

Soften and roll out the marzipan so that it is 1/8-inch thick then sprinkle it with cornstarch and confectioners sugar. Cover each cake with marzipan, cutting off any excess, and rolling it out to use for decorations.

Put the smaller cake on top of the medium cake, and the medium cake on top of the large cake. Decorate the torte with the reserved butter cream on the borders and a melted chocolate design on top. Finish with marzipan decorations and extra shaved chocolate, if desired.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

RUM SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark rum*

In a small 2 quart saucepan, bring the 1 cup water and sugar to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum.

*You can substitute orange juice for the rum.

PASTRY CREAM

4 cups whole milk
1 whole piece lemon zest
8 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar

In a saucepan heat the milk with a piece of lemon zest for flavor; do not let the milk come to a boil.

In a separate bowl, mix together the egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch, and sugar. Slowly add the milk, taking care to temper it first. Add 1/2 cup of the milk into the egg mixture, stir, and then stir in the remaining milk. Place the pan back on top of the stove and whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens (about 15 minutes).

Remove the pan from the heat and spread on a cookie sheet covered with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the top and cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.

BUTTER CREAM

"Be extra careful with the recipe for the butter cream. Make sure that the egg white mixture is completely cool before adding the butter or it will separate. If it does separate, put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour, then add 1/2 cup vegetable shortening and beat in a mixer until creamy."

8 eggs whites
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
7 to 8 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a double boiler, heat the egg whites and granulated sugar until the sugar is barely dissolved; do not overheat or the eggs will scramble.

In an electric mixer, filled with a whip attachment, whip the egg whites and sugar mixture until the mixture becomes cool to the touch. While machine is running, add bits of butter and confectioners' sugar until all is incorporated.

Makes 1 (tiered, 3-layer) cake, 12 servings
Source: Bologna Mia by Loretta Paganini