Pan Di Spagna Italian Sponge Cake Food

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE / PAN DI SPAGNA

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 320F (160C) Grease and flour an 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan (springform if you have one).
• In a medium bowl sift together the flour and corn starch. Set aside.
• In a large bowl or stand up mixer add the eggs and sugar and beat for 15 minutes, add the vanilla and beat another 2 minutes.
• Gently fold half the sifted flour into the beaten eggs and combine, then add the remaining flour and gently fold until smooth and completely combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE (PAN DI SPAGNA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 338°F (170°C).
• Butter and flour (or spray with baking spray) an 8 inches (20 cm) pan.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until very fluffy and pale yellow (about 10/15 minutes on medium/high speed). To test that it has been beaten enough, let a small amount of batter fall into the bowl. If it remains "sitting" on top, it means that it's ready.
• Sift the flour on top of the egg mixture, a little at a time, and fold it gently with a wooden spoon or a spatula just until incorporated. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Don't smooth the top or bang the pan on the counter, leave it as it is!
• Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Remember: do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes!)
• Turn off the oven but leave the cake inside (keep the door slightly open using a wooden spoon) for 5/10 minutes so it can cool down slowly.
• Remove the sponge cake from the oven, let it cool for 10 more minutes, then loosen around the edges with a knife, and flip it on a wire rack upside down (without the pan) to cool completely.

PAN DI SPAGNA (ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE )

Steps:

• Place egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until lemon colored.
• Add vanilla and lemon rind (if using it).
• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and then fold into the egg yolk mixture.
• Sift the flour in a separate bowl and slowly incorporate it into the egg mixture with a mixing spoon.
• Butter and flour a 18inch square (or a 9 x 13 x 3, or a 11 x 17 x 2inch half-sheet) cake pan**.
• Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake at 375°F for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove cake from oven and turn out (of pan) onto a cake rack to cool.
• When completely cool, cake may be sliced horizontally to form 2 or 3 thin layers.
• Cake can be tightly wrapped and frozen (up to 3 weeks) for future use.
• **Please check your oven size, to make sure pan will fit properly.

SPONGE CAKE (PAN DI SPAGNA)

Steps:

• Butter and line with parchment paper a 9-or 10-inch round cake pan that is 2 inches deep.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the yolks with the vanilla. Whisk in half the sugar and continue to beat until very light and frothy, about 5 minutes, either by hand, with a hand mixer set at medium speed, or in a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whip.
• Combine the flour and cornstarch and sift once to aerate.
• In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until they hold a very soft peak, either by hand, with a hand mixer set at medium speed, or in a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the whip. Beating faster, add the remaining sugar in a very slow stream, beating until the egg whites hold a firm peak.
• Fold the yolk mixture into the whites with a rubber spatula. Sift the flour and cornstarch over the eggs in 3 additions, folding them in gradually. Do not overmix the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, until it is well risen and feels firm when pressed gently with the palm of your hand.
• Immediately loosen the layer from the side of the pan with a small knife or spatula. Invert the layer onto a rack and leave the paper stuck to it. Turn the layer right side up and cool it on a rack.
• Unless you are going to use the layer within a few hours, double-wrap tightly in plastic and keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days, or freeze.

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE (PAN DI SPAGNA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter and flour one or two 9- or 10-inch (23- to 25-centimeter) springform cake pans.
• Combine the whole eggs and sugar in a stand mixer and beat on high speed for 15 minutes, until the mixture quadruples in volume.
• Add the egg yolks and beat on high speed for 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick enough to write with. Sift the flour and potato starch gradually into the egg-sugar mixture, incorporating a little at a time, mixing each inclusion of flour delicately with a spatula, scooping from the bottom up, so you do not deflate the eggs. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest until just blended, then divide the batter between the prepared pans.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, until light golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Do not overbake. It will dry and set as it cools.
• Turn out onto a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.

ZUPPA INGLESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until lemon colored.
• Add flour a little at a time, mixing well.
• Add vanilla and lemon rind, mix well.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.
• Fold egg whites into cake mixture.
• Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes.
• Cake should be a golden brown and spring back when lightly touched.
• Remove cake from oven, turn cake onto a rack to cool.
• ----Pasticciera Cream----.
• In a 1 quart sauce pan, combine the sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind, and vanilla and mix together well.
• In a second sauce pan, scald milk.
• Pour scalded milk over the egg yolk mixture, beating constantly with a rotary beater.
• Cook egg/milk mixture on low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches the boiling point.
• Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, add butter and mix well.
• Pour cream into a bowl and let cool, stir it occasionally to prevent a skin from forming over the top.
• ---Fora Chocolate Pasticciera Cream---.
• Follow above recipe for pasticciera cream, omitting lemon rind.
• Add grated chocolate to cooked pasticciera cream and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly, until chocolate is blended in well.
• Cool as in above directions.
• ----ZuppaInglese-----.
• Cut sponge cake into half inch slices.
• Sprinkle half the slices with rum, and the other half with creme de cacao.
• Spread the bottom of a 10 inch oven proof dish with a little of the pasticciera cream.
• Place 2 layers of the rum soaked cake slices on top of the cream.
• Pour remaining pasticcera cream over the cake slices.
• Sprinkle the candied fruit over the cream layer.
• Cover the cream/candied fruit layer with 2 layers of the creme de cacao soaked cake slices.
• In a medium sized bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
• Add sugar to beaten whites, and beat again (to dissolve sugar).
• Pile the beaten egg whites on top of the cake.
• Bake in a slow (300°F) oven for 20 minutes.
• Cool before serving.
• Refrigerate any leftovers.