Delicious and elegant. Let this exquisite cake speak for itself.
Ingredients
- Eggs (large, at room temperature), 7
- Powdered sugar, 1 cup (120 g)
- Cake flour, 1 cup (144 g)
- Baking powder, 1 teaspoon
- Ground almonds (blanched), 100 g
- Almond extract, 1 teaspoon
Soaking mixture
- Orange juice, from 2 oranges
- Lime juice, from 1 lime
- Rum, 100 ml
- Powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon
Filling
- Peach preserves (or apricot or orange), 200 g
- Canned peach halves, 3
- Marzipan (store-bought or homemade, see recipe below), 300 g
- Powdered sugar, about 100-150 g
- Mascarpone (cold), 250 g
- Heavy cream (cold, 30%), 100 ml
- Amaretto liqueur, 2 tablespoons
- Powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon
Icing
- Powdered sugar, 100 g
- Lime juice
Sides
- Dark chocolate (50% bittersweet or more), 100 g
- Heavy cream, 1 tablespoon
- Butter, 1 tablespoon
Marzipan pralines
- Marzipan, 300 g
- Dark chocolate (bittersweet), 100 g
- Heavy cream, 1 tablespoon
- Butter, 1 tablespoon
- Pistachios, 50 g
Homemade marzipan, 300 g
- Ground almonds (blanched), 200 g
- Powdered sugar, 100 g
- Amaretto liqueur, 3 tablespoons
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of a 24 cm cake pan, leaving the sides ungreased and unlined.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add powdered sugar while beating. Continue to beat for about 2 more minutes until the whites are thick and glossy.
Gradually add the egg yolks while beating. Sift the flour with the baking powder into a separate bowl. Add the ground almonds and mix. Gradually fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture in three batches, mixing on low speed until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove immediately from the oven and let cool. This can be prepared a day in advance.
Divide the marzipan into two parts and roll each part into a circle the size of the cake pan, using powdered sugar to dust the surface.
Slice the sponge cake into three layers. Place the bottom layer on a serving plate and soak with 1/3 of the soaking mixture (a blend of orange juice, lime juice, rum, and powdered sugar). Lay the first marzipan circle on top (it may crack a bit), followed by the second cake layer. Soak this layer with the soaking mixture, spread with preserves, and top with sliced peaches.
Whip the mascarpone with the heavy cream, amaretto, and powdered sugar until thick (about 1 minute). Spread the cream over the peach layer.
Cover with the third cake layer, soak it, and top with the second marzipan circle.
For the icing, mix powdered sugar with lime juice gradually until the desired consistency is achieved. Spread over the top of the cake.
For the sides, melt the chocolate with the cream and butter. Spread around the sides of the cake. Refrigerate. Decorate with pralines.
For the pralines, divide the marzipan into equal parts and form into balls. Melt the chocolate with the cream and butter. Coat the balls in chocolate and place on a tray. Peel and crush the pistachios, then chop and sprinkle over the pralines. Refrigerate for half an hour.
For homemade marzipan, process the ground almonds in a food processor until finely ground (about 1 minute). Add powdered sugar and process for another 30 seconds. Add amaretto and process for another 30 seconds until a paste forms. Use immediately or store in a bag in the refrigerator.
