Sicilian gelato is world-renowned, and Sicilian pastry is, in my opinion, unmatched. Today, I present an ideal cake for a special occasion, flavored with gianduia, coffee, and cream, all strictly homemade with genuine ingredients and without an ice cream maker. You will also find the recipe for the sponge cake.
Ingredients
For the 30 cm Sponge Cake
- 250 g sugar
- 140 g 00 flour
- 120 g potato starch
- 8 eggs (at room temperature)
- 2 vanilla beans
- 1 pinch of salt
For the Syrup
- 130 g water
- 75 g sugar
- 70 g liqueur (Strega or Gran Marnier)
For the Gianduia Gelato
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 1 packet of vanillin
- 3 egg yolks
- 125 g sugar
- 150 g Nutella®
For the Coffee Gelato
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 1 packet of vanillin
- 3 teaspoons of instant coffee
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 coffees (very strong)
- 125 g sugar
For Decoration
- 500 ml whipping cream
- 125 g sugar
- 1 packet of vanillin
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 50 g chopped hazelnuts
Tools
- Springform pan (28/30 cm diameter)
- Mixer
- Spatula
- Piping bag
Preparation: Sicilian Homemade Gelato Cake
Preparing the Sponge Cake
To prepare the gelato cake, first make the sponge cake.
Make sure you have a 28/30 cm diameter springform pan.
Preheat the oven to 160°C in static mode.
Break the eggs and place them in the bowl of a stand mixer and start whisking with the whisk at medium speed.
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Slit both vanilla beans or use powdered vanillin, extract the seeds and add them to the stand mixer along with a pinch of salt. At this point, slowly add the sugar as well.
Continue whisking for about 15 minutes until the eggs have tripled in volume and you have obtained a smooth and creamy mixture. Stop the stand mixer and place a sieve directly over the bowl.
Sift both the flour and potato starch. Gently incorporate the powders with movements from the bottom up using a spatula, so as not to risk deflating the mixture.
When you have obtained a homogeneous mixture, butter and flour a 28/30 cm diameter pan.
At this point, bake your sponge cake in a preheated static oven at 160°C, on the lowest rack, for about 50 minutes.
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Check that it is cooked by doing the toothpick test; if it comes out completely dry, you can take it out of the oven.
Then let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Place it on a wire rack to complete the cooling.
Preparing the Syrup
Pour the water, liqueur, and sugar into a saucepan.
Assembling the Cake
Once everything is cold, you can assemble the cake.
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First, you need to remove the outer crust of the sponge cake, first from the edges, then from the top and finally from the bottom, then divide it into 2 layers.
Place the first layer back in the springform pan.
Moisten with the syrup, or alternatively with milk.
Preparing the Coffee Gelato
Put the cream in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before, and prepare 2 strong, unsweetened espresso coffees and put them in the refrigerator to cool.
Start whipping the cream, halfway through add the sugar and vanillin and continue.
As soon as it is whipped, put it in the refrigerator and in the meantime, separate the yolks from the whites.
Add them one at a time to the cream, with a slow upward movement.
To avoid deflating the cream. if you want, this part is optional. Spread a disc of parchment paper the same size as the cake, and as soon as it has cooled.
Carefully detach it and place it on the first layer of gelato, to create a crispy layer.
Preparing the Gianduia Gelato
This cream must also go in the freezer 30 minutes before. Then add the powdered sugar and vanillin and start whipping.
When it is whipped, put it in a bowl and store it in the refrigerator.
Heat the Nutella in a bain-marie.
Separate the yolks from the whites.
Whip the latter until stiff, and then add the yolks one at a time.
Take the whipped cream out of the refrigerator, and gently incorporate the eggs first with a spatula from top to bottom, and then the Nutella.
If you want, you can also add chocolate chips at this point.
Continue mixing until you have obtained a smooth and homogeneous mixture.
Put the second layer of sponge cake, moisten it with the syrup and pour in the gianduia mixture, level it and put it back in the freezer for another hour.
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