suggested video
suggested video
recipe

Savoia cake: the Sicilian dessert recipe dedicated to chocolate lovers

Total time: 120 Min
Difficulty: High
Serves: 8 people
zoomed image
26
Image

Ingredients

For the biscuits
Eggs
280 grams
Sugar
150 grams (¾ cup)
Tipe 00 flour
90 grams (¾ cup)
Corn starch
50 grams
salt
1 pinch
For the filling
50% dark chocolate
300 grams
Milk chocolate
200 grams
White chocolate
25 grams (⅕ cup)
Sugar
25 grams (⅕ cup), powdered
Bitter cocoa powder
25 grams
Hazelnut flour
70 grams (¾ cup)
Whole Milk
150 ml (⅗ cup)
butter at room temperature
60 grams (¼ cup)
For the syrup
Water
200 ml (¾ cup)
Sugar
90 grams (½ cup), granulated
Rum
30 ml (6 teaspoons)
For the icing
50% dark chocolate
300 grams
Cocoa butter
50 grams
For the decoration
Bitter cocoa powder
as much as is needed

The Savoia cake is an elegant and super greedy dessert of Sicilian origin. It consists of multiple layers of biscuit dough alternated with a soft cream made with 3 different types of chocolate. Flavored with a scented rum syrup and coated with a shiny and crunchy fondant glaze, it's the perfect cake for a birthday or a special and festive occasion. Of ancient and controversial origins, legend has it that Savoia cake was prepared for the first time by the Benedictine nuns of Catania, in honor of the annexation of Sicily to the Kingdom of Italy, but there are also those who attribute this merit to a pastry chef from Palermo. Whoever was the creator of it, it doesn't matter; the Savoia cake is among the most popular desserts by chocolate lovers and, even today, among the most present cakes in Sicilian pastry shops. Despite its sumptuous appearance, it's a quick and easy dessert to prepare, you’ll just have to organize yourself well. So let’s find out how to prepare it by following our recipe step by step.

How to prepare the Savoia cake

Image

Prepare the biscuit; collect the eggs in a planetary mixer, add the sugar, a little at a time (1), and work all with a whisk until the mixture is puffy but not too fluffy.

Image

Sift the flour and corn starch, then gently incorporate them with a spatula, stirring with movements from the bottom up (2).

Image

Spread the mixture on two baking sheets, lined with parchment paper, and spread it out with the help of a spatula (3). Bake in a static oven at 180 degrees C and cook for 12 minutes.

Image

Prepare the cream; finely chop the three chocolates types and melt them in a bain-marie (4); join them and mix well.

Image

Sift the hazelnut flour with the powdered sugar and the bitter cocoa powder, add them to the melted chocolate (5) and mix well.

Image

Pour in the milk, add the butter at room temperature (cut into cubes) (6), mixing until the mixture will be smooth.

Image

For the syrup; pour the water, sugar and a tablespoon of rum into a saucepan (7), then bring to a boil and let it cool to room temperature.

Image

After the cooking time will be elapsed, take the biscuit out of the oven and let it cool. Using a plate and a wheel, make 5 discs in all (8).

Image

At this point, start composing the dessert; place a disc on a plate and brush it with the syrup. Using a pastry bag without a nozzle, form a spiral with the cream until it covers the entire surface of the biscuit (9). Continue in this way until all ingredients will be used up, ending with a disk with the syrup.

Image

For the icing; melt the dark chocolate with the cocoa butter. Arrange the cake on a rack, placed on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, pour the icing and cover the surface and edges with a spatula (10). Let it solidify.

Image

As soon as the icing has set, sprinkle the cake with a little bitter cocoa powder and serve, cutting the cake into slices (11).

How to store Savoia cake 

The Savoia cake can be preserved in the refrigerator, in a special container with an airtight seal, for a maximum of 2-3 days.

Image
Every dish has a story
Find out more on Cookist social networks
api url views