Spumoni Loaf From Renato Poliafito
Spumoni is a traditional Southern Italian dessert, a multilayered stack of gelato (usually cherry, pistachio, and chocolate) with chopped fruit and nuts, then cut into slices. Rainbow cookies—a classically Italian American dessert ubiquitous in U.S. bakeries but almost nonexistent in Italy— comprise a soft stack of different colors of almond cake, layered with jam, and covered in chocolate. This recipe pulls from the best of both. Built at the scale of a spumoni, the almond cake is joined by chocolate, cherry, and pistachio. The layers are sandwiched with a rasp- berry jam, then topped with a shimmery dark chocolate glaze. This tricolor cake has a few steps, but it’s made to impress.
Photo by Kevin Miyazaki
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 loaf
FOR THE LAYERS
285 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
5 grams (1 teaspoon) baking powder
1 grams (¼ teaspoon) fine sea salt
225 grams (8 ounces) almond paste, coarsely chopped
200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
335 grams (24 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
75 grams (⅓ cup) whole milk
10 grams (2 teaspoons) almond extract
5 grams (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
20 grams (3 tablespoons) cocoa powder, sifted
30 grams (2 tablespoons) boiling water
20 grams (2 tablespoons) mini chocolate chips
1 grams (¼ teaspoon) pistachio extract
Green food gel
40 grams (¼ cup) unsalted pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped
Red food gel
65 grams (3 tablespoons) cherry preserves
FOR THE ASSEMBLY
130 grams (6 tablespoons) raspberry preserves
170 grams (6 ounces) dark chocolate, chopped
175 grams (¾ cup) heavy cream
105 grams (⅓ cup) light corn syrup
5 grams (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
20 grams (2 tablespoons) chopped pistachios, for garnish
3 maraschino cherries, for garnish
METHOD
MAKE THE LAYERS: Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and set a rack in the center. Coat three identical 9x5-inch (23x13-centimeter) loaf pans with cooking spray and line each with a parchment sling, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) of parchment overhang along the length of the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the almond paste and sugar at medium speed until the almond paste is in pea-sized pieces. Add the butter and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Add the milk, almond extract, and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in two parts, mixing until each one is combined. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
Clean and dry the mixer bowl. Return to the stand mixer and snap on the whisk. Beat the egg whites on medium speed to medium-stiff peaks, about 4 minutes. Add one-third of the beaten egg whites to the batter and fold to combine. Add the remaining egg whites in two parts, folding until no streaks remain.
Evenly divide the batter into three medium bowls (about 425 grams or 1 ¾ cups per bowl). In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and boiling water together to form a paste. Add to one bowl of batter, along with the chocolate chips, and fold to combine. To the second bowl of batter, add the pistachio extract, 2 drops of green food gel, and pistachios and fold until combined. In the last bowl, add 1 drop of red food gel and the cherry preserves and fold until combined. Transfer each batter to its own loaf pan and spread in an even layer.
Bake the layers until baked through and springy when touched, 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. (The flavors may be done at slightly different times, so check each individually.) Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Remove each cake from the pan using the parchment sling, carefully remove the parchment, and set on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Trim the top of each layer with a serrated knife to create a level surface. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter. Place the pistachio layer in the center of the wrap and make sure there is enough plastic to cover the entire cake. Spread 65 grams (3 tablespoons) of the raspberry preserves on top in an even layer. Place the cherry layer on top, lining up the sides. Spread the remaining preserves on top. Top with the chocolate layer, lining up the sides, and wrap the cake tightly. Place the cake in a clean loaf pan and place in the refrigerator to set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Line a baking sheet with parchment and set a wire rack on top. Remove the cake from the pan, unwrap, and place on a cutting board. If the edges are angled or uneven, use a serrated knife and cut straight down on all sides. Remove any excess crumbs and transfer the spumoni to the wire rack, flipping so the pistachio is the top layer. Return to the refrigerator while you make the glaze.
To make the glaze, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof medium bowl (preferably with a pour spout). In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Pour the cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and, working quickly, pour the glaze over each side, allowing it to coat the layers all the way to the bottom of the cake. Pour the rest of the glaze over the top of the cake. Using an offset spatula, smooth the top and push the extra glaze toward the edges, allowing it to run down the sides. Then smooth the sides of the cake until the entire cake is covered in a nice, even layer. Top the cake with 3 small piles of chopped pistachios, like little nests, lined down the center. Top each of those nests with a cherry. Return to the refrigerator to set for 1 hour.
To serve, use an offset spatula to transfer the cake to a platter. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing.
This cake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.
From by Renato Poliafito. Excerpted by permission of Knopf.
