Marguerita Cake

I have found another gluten-free cake recipe that I simply must make ... a sponge cake made with potato starch and eggs that have been whipped into a frenzy. The original recipe calls for a chocolate rum frosting, but I tried it and it was WAY to heavy for this light cake, so I'm topping today's version with a mocha whipped cream . I'm going to dust the top with confectioner's sugar, a bit of cocoa powder, and shaved chocolate. Then, I'll chill it until we're ready to have dessert. Now, THAT'S my kind of cake!

I have a dear friend who is unable to eat glutens of any kind, so finding fun desserts that will surprise and please him is always fun. Silent Bob and I will be taking this cake to Harold 'for his approval' this evening. I'm really thinking that he's going to love it. I tasted the mocha whipped cream, as I was frosting the cake, and it is really light and tasty. Perfect for the cake... I love it when an idea works well!

Marguerita Cake is an Italian cake from Marguerite Buonopane's cook book, The North End Italian Cookbook. I have adapted the directions somewhat to fit my taste. You play with it too! Surely there are fruit toppings or other whipped toppings that would complement this light sponge cake. Get creative!

I trace the cake forms onto waxed paper with a chopstick ... no pencil lead or ink to bother with.

Grease the pans, and then press the wax paper into the bottoms, run your finger around the edges to smooth out the paper, lightly grease the waxed paper, and then dust the pan good with the confectioner's sugar.

 

Separate the eggs and get ready to whip the heck out of both yolks and whites!

 

Juice a lemon ... you need 1 tablespoon of juice.

Assemble the other 'cast members' and make the batter.

 

 Divide the batter into the small pans or just use a larger 10-inch pan.
Small pans baked for 20 minutes.

Cool for about ten minutes and then gently remove from the pan and peel the waxed paper from bottom. Plate and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and cocoa powder.

 Make a mocha whipped cream and frost the cake. Sprinkle with more cocoa and chocolate shavings  and chill.
  
Marguerita Cake

courtesy of Buonopane’s The North End Italian Cookbook

Cake Ingredients:

5 eggs, separated
½ c. confectioner’s sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. almond extract
½ c. potato flour, sifted
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Making the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.

3. Add sugar gradually and beat for 5 minutes.

4. Add lemon juice, almond extract,  and vanilla.

5. Fold in sifted flour.

6. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold them into the cake batter.

7. Grease a 10-inch pan (spring form pan in a good suggestion), lay a round of waxed paper in the bottom and grease the paper also. Then, dust the bottom and sides of the pan with confectioner’s sugar.

8. Pour the batter into the pan and dust the top with a bit more confectioner’s sugar.

9. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.

10. Turn the oven off and leave the  door open. Cool on  the oven rack.

11. When the pan can be handled with bare hands, remove and continue cooling.

12. Sprinkle cooled cake with confectioner's sugar and good quality cocoa powder.

13. Frost with mocha whipped cream and top with shaved chocolate.

Note: If you are making this cake for a small family or a couple friends and yourself, bake the cake in the smaller pans. I used 6-inch pans that are 2 - 3 inches deep. Frost one layer and chill the other unfrosted for another time.

Mocha Whipped Cream

2 c. heavy cream
4 tbsp. confectioner's sugar
3 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 3 tsp. boiling water

Whip the cream until it is stiff, adding the sugr a bit at a time while whipping.

Pour in the cooled coffee syrup and continue whipping to incorporate.

Makes enough to frost a ten-inch cake. Make half of the recipe if baking a small 6-inch cake.