Mimosa Cake
In Italy, the mimosa flower is often given to women on 8 March, International Women's Day. 'Women's Day' goes back as far as 1909, but it didn't become an internationally recognised day until 1977, when it was officially adopted by the United Nations. Teresa Mattei was one of the first female Italian politicians and in 1946 she made mimosa the symbol of Women's Day. The violet flower - which represented women's solidarity in France - was deemed too expensive and scarce. Mimosa, on the other hand, is 'a humble flower and can be found everywhere here in the countryside'. Readily found in poor, rural areas, the flower became the symbol of inclusivity as well as strength. The fluffy flowers may look delicate, but mimosa is resilient. As someone who had stood up to the fascist regime in Italy, and who became national director of the Italian Women's Union, Mattei must have known a lot about strength and resilience; no wonder this flower resonated with her. Its bright yellow colour brings joy and optimism, too.
I have put my own spin on the mimosa cake here, elevating its flavour through the addition of advocaat (the alcohol of which is all cooked off in the process). A light sponge is layered with bright yellow custard, then decorated with cubes of sponge to resemble the clusters of mimosa. Ideal for celebrating 8 March.
For the cake
For the custard
Equipment
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, salt and advocaat slowly until combined.
In Italy, the mimosa flower is often given to women on 8 March, International Women's Day. 'Women's Day' goes back as far as 1909, but it didn't become an internationally recognised day until 1977, when it was officially adopted by the United Nations. Teresa Mattei was one of the first female Italian politicians and in 1946 she made mimosa the symbol of Women's Day. The violet flower - which represented women's solidarity in France - was deemed too expensive and scarce. Mimosa, on the other hand, is 'a humble flower and can be found everywhere here in the countryside'. Readily found in poor, rural areas, the flower became the symbol of inclusivity as well as strength. The fluffy flowers may look delicate, but mimosa is resilient. As someone who had stood up to the fascist regime in Italy, and who became national director of the Italian Women's Union, Mattei must have known a lot about strength and resilience; no wonder this flower resonated with her. Its bright yellow colour brings joy and optimism, too.
I have put my own spin on the mimosa cake here, elevating its flavour through the addition of advocaat (the alcohol of which is all cooked off in the process). A light sponge is layered with bright yellow custard, then decorated with cubes of sponge to resemble the clusters of mimosa. Ideal for celebrating 8 March.
For the cake
- 8 high-quality eggs (as yellow yolk as possible)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp advocaat
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder (I buy mine from Bakery Bits)
- 270g golden caster sugar
- 125g cornflour, sieved
- 160g pasta flour, sieved
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon liquid yellow food colouring
For the custard
- 450ml whole milk
- 50ml advocaat
- 1 lemon zest, pared
- 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
- 5 egg yolks
- 130g golden caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1 teaspoon liquid yellow food colouring
Equipment
- 3 x 18cm round cake tins
- Metal sieve lined with muslin
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, salt and advocaat slowly until combined.
2. Add the vanilla powder and golden caster sugar. Whisk on medium speed for 15 minutes until much increased in volume. It should look foamy and light in colour - don't be tempted to stop early.
3. Using a metal spoon, carefully fold in the sifted cornflour and flour, and add the lemon zest. Mix gently yet thoroughly to prevent pockets of flour being left.
4. Fold in the food colouring.
4. Fold in the food colouring.
5. Bake for 5 minutes at 160°C and then reduce the heat to 140°C and bake for another 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the tins and place on a cooling tray.
6. Remove from the tins and place on a cooling tray.
7. To make the custard, hand whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour in a large bowl until thick and creamy. Prepare a metal sieve lined with muslin (or an otherwise fine sieve method).
8. Place the milk, advocaat, pared lemon zest and vanilla powder in a saucepan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring occasionally. Remove it from the heat as soon as it starts to boil, and sieve the mixture into the bowl containing the whisked yolks, sugar and cornflour. Discard the pared lemon zest and vanilla powder.
9. Stir the mixture and then transfer it to a clean saucepan. Over a medium heat, stir it until it thickens. Then, stir through the food colouring. Let it cool slightly but not fully (if it's cold, it will be hard to assemble the cake).
10. Using a bread knife, remove a thin layer from the top and bottom of each cake, to get rid of the darker sponge. Cut each sponge in half horizontally.
11. Place one horizontal half on a cake stand, and cover it in a layer of custard. Do the same with two more cake halves (so you have a three-layer cake) and then cover the cake in the remaining custard.
11. Place one horizontal half on a cake stand, and cover it in a layer of custard. Do the same with two more cake halves (so you have a three-layer cake) and then cover the cake in the remaining custard.
12. You will be left with three horizontal cake halves - cut these into small cubes and then place these all over the cake, piling them high on top. Decorate with a sprig of mimosa.