Florentine Frozen Dome Cake Recipes

ZUCCOTTO: A CREAMY ITALIAN DESSERT CAKE

Steps:

• Line a 2 1/2 quart bowl with plastic wrap. Have it much larger than you need to cover the top later.
• Cut the sponge cake in half. I love this inexpensive tool.
• Place one slice in the bottom of the bowl. If you're using a loaf cake, cut slices and then triangles and fill the bowl like a jigsaw puzzle to cover every spot, so that the entire bowl is covered.
• Slice a few pieces of the other half of the cake into strips.
• Use the strips to line around the cake in the bowl. This only takes a few minutes, and its very easy!
• Sprinkle the cake with your choice of liqueur. I used Kahlua this time.
• In a medium sized pot (off the heat), stir the egg yolks and sugar together briskly with a wooden spoon.
• Add the flour a little at a time and incorporate into the mixture.
• Heat the milk to boiling and add the vanilla. Begin adding the hot milk to the mixture a little at a time, mixing well in between additions. Do not add too much at once or the eggs may curdle.
• Continue adding the hot milk and stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.
• Once all the milk has been added, put the pot onto medium heat and continue to stir.
• When the mixture comes to a boil, let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes then remove from the heat. Keep stirring as it cools so that it doesn't form a skin.
• Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or in a bowl over some hot water.
• Set aside.
• In a medium sized bowl, beat 10 oz (300 ml) heavy whipping cream with the instant coffee powder until stiff peaks form; set aside.
• To the cooled pastry cream, add 1 Tbsp of Grand Marnier, the 2 oz (57 g) of grated chocolate and the whipped coffee cream. Fold mixture until completely combined.
• Spread 2/3 of the mixture into the cake-lined bowl almost reaching the top, but not completely. Leave a hollow in the middle and don't worry if it doesn't look perfect, it will be fine in the end.
• Add the melted chocolate to the remaining cream.
• Mix well until the color is uniform, then fill the center of the zuccotto.
• Take pieces of the remaining cake and close up the bottom of the zuccotto.
• Sprinkle with more of your chosen liqueur, then seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but I like to leave it overnight.
• Beat the remaining 8 oz of heavy whipping cream, with the other 2 teaspoons of coffee powder and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar until stiff peaks form.
• When ready to decorate, remove top plastic wrap and place a FLAT (must be completely flat!) plate or cake stand on top of the zuccotto and invert. Remove the bowl.
• Ta dah! This is my favorite part! Have cracks? Doesn't matter, it's still going to turn out perfectly.
• Spread the coffee-flavored whipped cream all over the zuccotto.
• Make swirls or peaks in the cream, whichever way you like, but it doesn't have to be fancy. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, curls or more grated chocolate.
• It's best to refrigerate the cake for an hour or so. However, you can serve it immediately if you need to.

FLORENTINES

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir the almonds, flour and zest in a medium bowl. Stir the sugar, butter, cream, and honey in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the almond mixture. Cool the batter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using 2 teaspoons of batter for each cookie, spoon 8 mounds of the batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly apart (the cookies will spread). Flatten the batter slightly with your finger.
• Bake the cookies until they are lacy and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Gently slide the parchment paper with the cookies onto a rack and cool completely. Transfer the cookies to paper towels. Repeat with the remaining batter, lining the baking sheets with clean parchment for each batch. (The cookies can be made up to this point 2 months ahead. Cool completely, then store airtight in the freezer. Defrost before continuing.)
• Stir the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the chocolate melts. Spread the melted chocolate over the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, pressing lightly to adhere. Repeat with the remaining cookies and chocolate.

DOME CAKE FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE AND NUT CREAM

Steps:

• Moisten large piece of cheesecloth with water; squeeze out excess. Line 1 1/2-quart bowl with cheesecloth. Mix liqueurs and grappa in small bowl. Cut pound cake crosswise into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Cut each slice diagonally in half, forming two triangles. Lay cake triangles in single layer on baking sheet; brush with liqueur mixture. Line bottom and sides of prepared bowl with cake triangles (wet sides facing in) in sunburst pattern. Reserve extra triangles for top.
• Stir 2 ounces chocolate in metal bowl set over small saucepan of simmering water until chocolate melts. Cool just to room temperature. Beat cream and powdered sugar in large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold in 3 ounces chopped chocolate and nuts. Spread half of mixture over cake, covering completely and creating well in center. Fold cooled melted chocolate into remaining whipped cream mixture; spoon into center well of filling. Cover filling with remaining cake triangles (wet side down), trimming to fit if necessary. Cover with plastic. Chill at least 5 hours and up to 1 day.
• Invert cake onto plate. Remove cloth. Sift cocoa powder over and serve.

FLORENTINE FROZEN DOME CAKE

Steps:

• 1 At least 20 minutes before you are ready to whip the cream, place a large bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer in the refrigerator. Line a 2-quart round bowl or mold with plastic wrap. Cut the cake into slices no more than 1/4-inch thick. Cut each slice in half diagonally, forming two triangular pieces, and lay them all on a platter. 2 In a small bowl, mix together the rum and liqueur, and sprinkle the mixture over the cake. Place as many cake pieces as needed side by side-pointed-side down-in the bowl to form one layer. Cover the remaining inside surface of the bowl with the remaining cake, cutting the pieces to fit as needed. Fill in any gaps with cutup pieces of cake. Set aside the remaining cake for the top. 3 Prepare the filling: Remove the bowl and beaters from the refrigerator. Pour the cream into the bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Whip at high speed until the cream holds its shape softly when the beaters are lifted, about 4 minutes. Gently fold in the chocolate and almonds. 4 Spoon the cream mixture into the mold, being careful not to disturb the cake. Place the remaining cake slices in a layer on top. Cover securely with plastic wrap and freeze the mold 4 hours up to overnight. 5 To serve, remove the plastic wrap and invert a serving plate on top of the bowl. Holding the plate and bowl together, invert them both. Lift off the bowl. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Place the berries around the cake. Cut into wedges to serve. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

EGGS FLORENTINE DOMES RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Place the ham and muffins on a baking sheet. Tip: If your baking sheet is not large enough to hold everything at once, place a wire on top of the pan and arrange the remaining ham and English muffins on top of it.
• Broil for 2 minutes, until the English muffins are toasted and the ham starts to crisp.
• Remove the English muffins and ham from the oven. Slice the ham lengthwise, into ⅛-inch (3 mm) wide strips.
• Cover a small bowl, about 3 inches (7-cm) in diameter, with plastic wrap. Place a ham strip across the middle (the edge of the strip should come slightly over the lip of the bowl). Continue placing ham strips across the bowl, overlapping them in a spiral pattern. Repeat with three more small bowls and the remaining ham strips.
• In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until the garlic starts to brown. Add the spinach and stir until wilted to half its original volume, 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and stir for another minute. Remove from heat.
• Make the hollandaise sauce: In a blender, combine the eggs yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and cayenne pepper. Blend on high for 5 seconds. Reduce the blender speed to low and pour in the melted butter in a thin, steady stream. Blend for 30 more seconds. Cover and keep warm.
• Fill a deep pan with enough water to cover 4 small, heat-safe bowls. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and use a pair of tongs to place the bowls in the water. Carefully drop an egg into each bowl. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the yolks are cooked to your desired firmness. Using tongs, remove the bowls from the water and drain.
• Place a poached egg inside each small bowl with the spiralized ham slices and top with spinach. Fold the ham slices over the spinach and place a buttered English muffin half on top. Place a plate over the bowl and invert. Remove the bowl and plastic wrap.
• Serve with hollandaise sauce and chives.
• Enjoy!