 | |
| Place of origin | Italy |
|---|---|
| Created by | Adelmo Renzi |
| Main ingredients | Sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, custard, sponge cake, Marsala |
Torta mimosa is an Italian dessert first created in the comune (municipality) of Rieti, Lazio, in the 1950s. [1] The name is given by the small pieces of sponge cake scattered on the surface, which resemble mimosa flowers in shape. Thanks to the flower's connection with International Women's Day, the cake is also often used to celebrate this occasion.
The recipe was invented by Adelmo Renzi, a chef from San Filippo, a frazione (hamlet) of Contigliano, who owned a restaurant in the centre of the comune of Rieti, Lazio. The cake became famous in May 1962, when the chef took part in a pastry competition in Sanremo, during which he presented the mimosa as a tribute to the city of flowers, and won. The original recipe used by Renzi, however, has never been revealed. [2]
The comparison of the cake with the mimosa is linked to its appearance, formed by pieces of sponge cake placed on the cake to recall the shape of the mimosa flower. The preparation requires cutting a horizontal slice of sponge cake and removing the inner part, which is then fully crumbled and used to create the "mimosa effect".
The sponge cake can be soaked in sweet liqueur, such as Marsala or Maraschino, or in pineapple juice. The filling consists of custard, with the possible addition of whipped cream or jam. Fresh fruit or canned fruit is also used.
It is possible to use a bit of turmeric to intensify the colour of the sponge crumbs to be scattered across the surface, although this is not strictly necessary. [3]
Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate and which share features with desserts such as pastries, meringues, custards, and pies.
Hungarian or Magyar cuisine is the cuisine characteristic of the nation of Hungary, and its primary ethnic group, the Magyars. Hungarian cuisine has been described as being the spiciest cuisine in Europe. This can largely be attributed to the use of their piquant native spice, Hungarian paprika, in many of their dishes. A mild version of the spice, Hungarian sweet paprika, is commonly used as an alternative. Traditional Hungarian dishes are primarily based on meats, seasonal vegetables, fruits, bread, and dairy products.
A wedding cake is the traditional cake served at wedding receptions following dinner. In some parts of England, the wedding cake is served at a wedding breakfast; the 'wedding breakfast' does not mean the meal will be held in the morning, but at a time following the ceremony on the same day. In modern Western culture, the cake is usually on display and served to guests at the reception. Traditionally, wedding cakes were made to bring good luck to all guests and the couple. Nowadays, however, they are more of a centerpiece to the wedding and are not always even served to the guests. Some cakes are built with only a single edible tier for the bride and groom to share, but this is rare since the cost difference between fake and real tiers is minimal.
Ladyfingers or Naples biscuits, in British English sponge fingers, also known by the Italian name savoiardi or by the French name boudoirs, are low-density, dry, egg-based, sweet sponge cake biscuits roughly shaped like large fingers. They are a principal ingredient in many dessert recipes, such as trifles and charlottes, and are also used as fruit or chocolate gateau linings, and for the sponge element of tiramisu. They are typically soaked in a sugar syrup or liqueur, or in espresso for tiramisu.
A tres leches cake, dulce de tres leches, also known as pan tres leches or simply tres leches, is a sponge cake originating in North, Central and South America soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk.
Torta caprese is a flourless cake made with chocolate and either almonds or hazelnuts. Named for the Italian island of Capri, from which it originates, the cake is widely known and especially popular in nearby Naples, Italy.
A Swiss roll, jelly roll, roll cake, cream roll, roulade or Swiss log or swiss cake —is a type of rolled sponge cake filled with whipped cream, jam, icing, or any type of filling. The origins of the term are unclear; in spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake is believed to have originated elsewhere in Central Europe, possibly Austria or Slovenia. It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along with Battenberg cake, doughnuts, and Victoria sponge. In the U.S., commercial snack-sized versions of the cake are sold with the brand names Ho Hos, Yodels, Swiss Cake Rolls, and others. A type of roll cake called Yule log is traditionally served at Christmas.
Torta is a culinary term that can, depending on the cuisine, refer to cakes, pies, flatbreads, sandwiches, or omelettes.
Cassata or cassata siciliana is an Italian cake originating in the Sicily region. It is typically composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. It has a shell of marzipan, pink and green colored icing, and decorative designs. Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts.
Molten chocolate cake or runny core cake, is a French dessert that consists of a chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate core. It is named for that molten center, and it is also known as mi-cuit au chocolat, chocolat coulant ("flowing"), chocolate lava cake, or simply lava cake. It should not be confused with fondant au chocolat, a recipe that contains little flour, but much chocolate and butter, hence melting on the palate.
Genoa cake is a fruit cake consisting of sultanas, currants or raisins, glacé cherries, almonds, and candied orange peel or essence, cooked in a batter of flour, eggs, butter, and sugar.
Sponge cake is a light cake made with eggs, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during the Renaissance, possibly in Spain. The sponge cake is thought to be one of the first non-yeasted cakes, and the earliest attested sponge cake recipe in English is found in a book by the British poet Gervase Markham, The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman (1615). Still, the cake was much more like a cracker: thin and crispy. Sponge cakes became the cake recognised today when bakers started using beaten eggs as a rising agent in the mid-18th century. The Victorian creation of baking powder by British food manufacturer Alfred Bird in 1843 allowed the addition of butter to the traditional sponge recipe, resulting in the creation of the Victoria sponge. Cakes are available in many flavours and have many recipes as well. Sponge cakes have become snack cakes via the Twinkie.
Esterházy torta is a Hungarian cake (torte) named after Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha (1786–1866), a member of the Esterházy dynasty and diplomat of the Austrian Empire. It was invented by Budapest confectioners in the late 19th century and soon became one of the most famous cakes in the lands of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
A pasticciotto is a type of filled Italian pastry. Depending on the region, they are traditionally filled with either ricotta cheese or egg custard.
Torta setteveli is a seven-layer cake. Traditionally served at birthdays, it includes chocolate and hazelnuts.
Torta Barozzi is an Italian dessert.
Italian: (...Si presenta come una piccola zolla di terra e come una zolla si sbriciola... È un incantevole mistero fatto di mille aromi che confondono il palato in una sinfonia di dolcezza...)
(...It presents itself as a small clod of earth and like a clod it crumbles... It is an enchanting mystery made up of a thousand aromas that confuse the palate in a symphony of sweetness...)
Torta della nonna is a dessert typical of the Tuscany region of Italy.
