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Italian Mimosa Cake

An Italian Mimosa Cake is not only pretty to look at but really delicious to eat. A layer cake filled with an Italian chantilly cream. This cake isn’t just any cake, it was made in Italy to honour women on March 8th for International Women’s Day.

Mimosa cake on glass cake stand.


 

What is International Women’s Day?

The first International Women’s Day was celebrated on March 8, 1946. The Mimosa was chosen by the “Italian Women Association” probably because of the beautiful yellow flowers and the fact that the flower blooms in the beginning of March in Central Italy.

Most believe it was a Roman Female Pastry Chef that invented the Mimosa Cake, she cut up pieces of the cake and sprinkled them on the cake’s surface in an attempt to produce the Mimosa flower.

On this day women / girls are given a small bouquet of Mimosa flowers.

Recipe Ingredients

For the cake

  • Flour – cake/pastry flour
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Eggs – room temperature large eggs
  • Sugar – granulated sugar
  • Vanilla – vanilla extract
  • Water – hot water

Filling

  • Pastry cream either Lemon Pastry Cream or Classic Italian Pastry Cream.
  • Cream – whole, heavy or whipping cream with at least 30% fat content
  • Vanilla – vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar – also known as icing or confectioners’ sugar

Syrup for wetting the layers

  • Water
  • Sugar – granulated sugar
  • Lemon – you can use lemon juice, lemon zest or even a limoncello liqueur mixed with a little water if you wish.

How to Make Cake Flour

For every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.

Mimosa cake on a glass cake stand with a slice on a black plate.

Why use room temperature ingredients?

With cakes and other baking, it’s always better to use room temperature ingredients. So, take any cold ingredients out of the refrigerator an hour ahead of time or sooner if it’s cool in your kitchen. Room temperature ingredients blend easier, creating a silky batter, which will help to create a light tender baked good.

How to make a Mimosa Cake

You can either make the pastry cream the day before which is what I do or make it at least 3-4 hours before you plan on making the cake.

In a medium bowl sift the flour, salt and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Beat egg whites until firm.

In a separate large bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy.

Egg yolks and sugar beaten until light and creamy.

Add the vanilla, add the flour a little at a time and beat to combine between each addition.

Flour added to the egg yolk mixture.

Add the hot water and beat to combine.

Water added to the batter.

Gently fold in the egg whites.

Egg whites folded in the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake. Leave in the pan to cool, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cake in the pan before and after baked.

While the cake is cooling make the filling and sugar water

In a large bowl beat the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Cream soft peaks and stiff peaks in a white bowl.

Gently fold the pastry cream into the whipped sweet cream until completely combined. Cover the bowl and chill until ready to use.

Pastry cream mixed into the whipped cream.

In a small pot add the water, lemon peel and sugar. Heat until boiling and continue to boil for about 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.

Sugar water before and after made.

Putting it together

Once the cakes have cooled completely, remove the tops (golden brown parts) from both the cakes to make a flat surface. Slice each cake into 3 layers.

Cake in three layers.

One set of layers remove the golden parts from the sides of the cake. Cut each layer into long narrow strips and cut the strips into small square pieces, set aside.

Cake cut into squares.

To make it easier to assemble the cake, place the first layer of the cake back into the spring form pan, wet the cake with a some of the sweetened water, then spread about a quarter of the filling on top, place the second layer on top and repeat.

Cake layer in pan and filling on top.

Place the third layer on top, top with some filling, remove the cake from the pan and place on a cake plate. Continue to spread the filling to completely cover the whole cake.

Cake covered in filling on a white plate.

Cover the frosted cake with the small cubes of cake, refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours, overnight is even better. Dust with powdered/icing sugar before serving if desired.

Cover the cake with the cake cubes.

If you wish you can make the cubes even smaller or some people like to blend the cake to form crumbs and cover the cake with crumbs instead of cubes.

Don’t toss the trimmed cake pieces, you can use them to make this delicious Coffee Cake!

What is Chantilly Cream?

French chantilly cream is a sweetened whipped cream, cream usually with a little vanilla extract that is whipped with some powdered sugar. Whereas Italian chantilly cream is lightly sweetened whipped cream that is gently combined with Italian pastry cream.

Italian cake on a glass cake stand.

What is the difference between custard cream and pastry cream?

The two are very similar hence the confusion but pastry cream is actually thicker, so thick that you could actually eat it with a spoon like pudding! Custard cream is often served warm and is a bit more runny. 

The Mimosa cake is not a difficult cake to make at all, just a little bit of patience and time and the process of making it becomes fun.

Don’t let the bright yellow colour scare you, there is not a drop of food colouring in this cake. The brightness of the cake comes from the type of eggs that are used. The colour of the yolk depends on what the hen eats, it can go from very pale to a very bright yellow.

How to store the Mimosa cake

The cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to two days in the fridge. It’s not advised to freeze as the filling will separate.

So if you have the urge to celebrate International Women’s Day like the Italians or just because it seems like a good day to eat an amazing cake, then this pretty Italian Mimosa Cake is for you. Enjoy!

A slice of cake on a white plate.
Mimosa cake on glass cake stand.

Italian Mimosa Cake

Rosemary Molloy
Italian Mimosa Cake, a delicious sponge cake, layers filled with Italian Chantilly Cream, a delicate creamy dessert recipe.
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chilling Time 4 hours
Total Time 6 hours
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10 servings
Calories 324 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

FOR THE CAKE

  • 2 cups cake/pastry flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 8 large eggs (room temperature) separated
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup hot water

FOR THE ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM

    FOR THE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

    • 1 cup cream whole, whipping or heavy cream at least 30% fat content
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 2 tablespoons icing/powdered sugar (sifted)

    SWEETENED SUGAR WATER

    • ½ cup water
    • 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice or limoncello (optional)
    • peel of ½ lemon
    • ½ tablespoon granulated sugar

    EXTRAS

    • 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting the cake

    Instructions
     

    You can either make the pastry cream the day before which is what I do or make it at least 3-4 hours before you plan on making the cake.

    • Pre-heat oven to 340F (170C), lightly grease and flour or spray two 8 inch (20cm) round springform cake pans or regular pans.
    • In a medium bowl sift the flour, salt and baking powder.
    • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment beat the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
    • In a separate large bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar for 15 minutes, add the vanilla, then add the flour a little at a time and beat to combine between each addition, add the hot water and beat to combine. Gently fold in the egg whites.
    • Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Leave in the pan to cool 15-20 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

    While the cake is cooling make the filling and the sugar water

    • In a large bowl beat the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form, sift in the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pastry cream into the whipped sweet cream until completely combined. Cover the bowl and chill until ready to use.
    • In a small pot add the water, lemon peel and sugar. Heat until boiling and continue to boil for about 5-10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. If you are using limoncello then add it after the mixture has cooled.

    PUTTING IT TOGETHER

    • Once the cakes have cooled completely, remove the tops (golden brown parts) from both the cakes to make a flat surface. Slice each cake into 3 layers.
    • One set of layers remove the golden parts from the sides of the cake. Cut each layer into long narrow strips and cut the strips into small square pieces, set aside. (If you wish you can make the cubes even smaller or some people like to blend the cake to form crumbs and cover the cake with crumbs instead of cubes).
    • To make it easier to assemble the cake, place the first layer of the cake back into the spring form pan, wet the cake with a some of the sweetened water, then spread about a quarter of the filling on top, place the second layer on top and repeat.
    • Place the third layer on top, top with some filling, remove the cake from the pan and place on a cake plate. Continue to spread the filling to completely cover the whole cake.
    • Cover the frosted cake with the small cubes of cake, refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours, overnight is even better. Dust with powdered/icing sugar before serving if desired. Enjoy!

    Notes

    To make homemade cake/pastry flour – for every cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace with two tablespoons of corn starch. Be sure to sift the flour and cornstarch together a couple of times, this way it is sure to be properly combined and lump free. Cake flour in cakes will give you a very tender texture and fine crumb, it will also help the cake to rise.
    Make sure the bowl you use for beating the egg whites is completely clean and dry.
    Don’t toss the trimmed cake pieces, you can use them to make this delicious Coffee Cake!
    The cake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for up to two days in the fridge. It’s not advised to freeze as the filling will separate.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 206mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 566IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

    Updated from February 12, 2016.

    13 Comments

    1. 5 stars
      I can’t believe that I managed to make this cake. It did take me all day because I forgot to make the Italian cream the day before. I’m very proud of myself! It looks just like in the picture. I wonder if adding a layer of jam or even caramel would make this cake even better. I did add caramel over my piece of cake and my husband added cherry juice from the maraschinno cherries to his. Very delicious! Will make again!

      1. Hi Corina, thanks so much, so glad you like it, and yes you should be proud, it’s a bit of a complicated cake! A layer of jam or caramel would be a great idea. Take care!

    2. Hi Alex, I am going to redo this recipe today, probably using my latest sponge cake and I will update the recipe. Sorry it didn’t turn out and thanks for letting me know. Take care.

    3. Hi Maria, thanks for letting me know, when I get back to Italy I am going to remake it and test it out. Well at least the cream filling worked :). So glad you are a fan. Have a great weekend.

    4. This cake looks beautiful and I’m sure it tastes even better.
      My husband and I belong to an Italian cooking group (LaCucina) that meets monthly.
      I plan on making this dessert for our meeting this Saturday.
      Do I use sweet or salted butter? Do I fill both cake pans evenly? Can I make this dessert the day before?
      Thanks

      1. Hi Lorie, the group must be so much fun. I used just regular butter (unsalted is really hard to find in Italy). Fill one of the pans a little more to make a higher cake so you can slice it in 3 levels. It is best to make it the day before,and let it sit overnight in the fridge tastes better. Let me know how it goes. Have fun.

    5. Hi Martha, I used the smaller springform pans to bake it, and I replaced it back into the pan to assemble (but just the middle filling, I removed the cake, frosted the sides and the crumbs stuck with no problem. Glad you enjoy the desserts! 🙂

    6. Hi Sue, there is no oil or butter in an Italian Sponge cake, just 4 ingredients, nice and easy. Hope you enjoy it.

    7. That cake and those trees are so beautiful! I love how the cake looks like the flowers – so pretty 🙂

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