| Mimosa cake | |
| Alternate Name: | Italian: Torta mimosa (in Italian) |
| Country: | Italy |
| Creator: | Adelmo Renzi |
| Main Ingredient: | Sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, custard, sponge cake, Marsala |
Mimosa cake, known in Italian as Italian: torta mimosa, is an Italian dessert first created in the Italian: [[comune]] (municipality) of Rieti, Lazio, in the 1950s.[1] The name is given by the small pieces of sponge cake scattered on the surface, which resemble Italian: [[mimosa]] flowers in shape. Thanks to the flower's connection with International Women's Day, the cake is also often used to celebrate this occasion.
The recipe was invented by Adelmo Renzi, a chef from San Filippo, a Italian: [[frazione]] (hamlet) of Contigliano, who owned a restaurant in the centre of the Italian: comune of Rieti, Lazio. The cake became famous in May 1962, when the chef took part in a pastry competition in Sanremo, during which he presented the Italian: mimosa as a tribute to the city of flowers, and won. The original recipe used by Renzi, however, has never been revealed.[2]
The comparison of the cake with the Italian: mimosa is linked to its appearance, formed by pieces of sponge cake placed on the cake to recall the shape of the Italian: mimosa flower. The preparation requires cutting a horizontal slice of sponge cake and removing the inner part, which is then fully crumbled and used to create the "Italian: mimosa effect".
The sponge cake can be soaked in sweet liqueur, such as Marsala or Maraschino, or in pineapple juice. The filling consists of custard, with the possible addition of whipped cream or jam. Fresh fruit or canned fruit is also used.
It is possible to use a bit of turmeric to intensify the colour of the sponge crumbs to be scattered across the surface, although this is not strictly necessary.[3]