Mimosa Cake: an easy dessert recipe to celebrate Women’s Day

The mimosa cake is a traditional Italian dessert that's very impressive to look at. It is usually served on March 8th, when it is International Women’s Day.

This soft, moist dessert is made of two sponge cakes filled with a delicious custard mixed with whipped cream. In particular, mimosa cake is called in this way because of the small cubes of sponge cake which are crumbled and arranged on top as decoration in order to resemble a mimosa flower, a tiny yellow flower that has become a symbol of this day in Italy.

March 8th began as a commemoration of the 1908 death of a group of women factory workers in the United States. Its symbol in Italy is the yellow, fragrant mimosa flower, as it blooms in early March.

The mimosa cake was first created by pastry chef Adelmo Renzi in the 1950s and was shown for the first time in Sanremo in 1962 during a pastry competition that he won.

Tips

After topping the cake with the cream, it can be decorated by placing the little cake cubes all over the custard. You can also decorate with sugar paste or fruit, according to preference.

Mimosa Cake Variations

You can customize mimosa cake as you prefer.

• Chocolate mimosa cake: a delicious variation recipe, it can also be made with white chocolate.
• Pineapple mimosa cake: it is lighter recipe that's sweet yet tart.
• Strawberry mimosa cake: use whipped cream to enhance the flavor of strawberries.
• Lemon mimosa cake: flavor the custard with lemon.

How to store Mimosa Cake

The mimosa cake can be stored in the fridge, only if hermetically sealed or wrapped in plastic wrap, for 3 days at most, so you can also prepare it even the day before.

You can also freeze it and then let it defrost in the fridge for a whole night, when you have to use it.

How to make Mimosa cake

Making the sponge cake

In the bowl of stand mixer, shell the eggs and add the granulated sugar and grated lemon zest.

Start whipping with electric whips at maximum speed. After a minute, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and continue working for at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour in another bowl.

When the whipped mixture is four times its initial volume, it should be yellow in color and creamy, and fluffy in texture, not runny. Incorporate the sifted flour by adding one tablespoon at a time.

Mix from the bottom up so as not to disassemble the mixture. Continue until all the flour is run out.

Pour the batter into two 20-cm and 16-cm-diameter cake pans, greased with butter and flour.

Evenly spread the batter so it does not come apart. Bake the sponge cakes at 170°C/335°F for about 50 minutes. Make sure not to open the oven before 40 minutes. When done, pop them out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.

Making the diplomat cream

Pour the milk into a small saucepan. Add the whole zest of one lemon, being careful not to take out the most bitter white part as well. Put the saucepan on the stove and bring the milk to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla using a hand whisk. Add the sifted cornstarch and stir again to blend everything together.

When the milk is almost to a boil, remove it from the heat and pour in the yolk and sugar mixture, continuing to stir.

Put it back on the heat and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until you have a cream of the right consistency.

Pour the custard into a tray or a wide, shallow glass container, spread it out and cover with clingfilm. Let it cool.

Meanwhile, whip the cold cream with electric whips until firm and fluffy.

Transfer the cold custard in a clean bowl, then incorporate the whipped cream, stirring gently with movements from the bottom to the top. Set aside.

How to assemble and decorate Mimosa Cake

Remove the dark crust from the smaller sponge cake and cut out many small cubes from the crumb. For the syrup, bring the water with the sugar to a boil, remove from the heat and add the rum. Set aside to cool.

Divide the largest sponge cake into 3 perfectly equal discs.

Drizzle the base with the rum syrup.

Make a first layer of cream, spreading it evenly.

Cover with the second disc, wet it in the same way and continue with more cream.

Finish with the last disc and use the remaining cream to coat the whole cake on the outside. Arrange the cubes all over the surface until it is completely covered.

Make sure there are no gaps between each cube.

Slice, serve and enjoy!