What happens when a midwestern girl moves to Italy? For that story, you’ll want to subscribe to Lolly Martyn’s delightful Substack, Weeknights in Italy.
But, for a taste of a true Italian Christmas, watch the replay of this live streaming class. Lolly talks about the difference between a pandoro and a panettone, and shows us how to make one of the simplest and most delicious desserts I’ve ever had: Coffee and Mascarpone Cream
Watch as Lolly uses her egg free mascarpone cream to transform a pandoro into a true showstopper.
I prepared an egg-rich mascarpone cream and then layered it with cubes of butter cake for decadent parfaits. Scroll down for the recipe!
Mascarpone Cream and Cake Parfaits!
For the cake:
1 1/4 cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons (14 grams) cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces/ 113 grams) butter, salted or unsalted, at room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cups (175 grams) granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (170 grams) buttermilk, at room temperature
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease and flour the inside of a 8-inch cake pan that’s at least 3-inches deep.
Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and the egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the flour and buttermilk in alternating additions: ¼ of the flour, ⅓ of the buttermilk, ¼ of the flour, ⅓ of the buttermilk, ¼ of the flour, the last of the buttermilk, and the last of the flour. After each addition, mix on low speed just long enough to barely incorporate. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple of times. After the last addition of flour, use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the batter, ensuring all the ingredients have been well combined.
Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing it into an even layer.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any evidence of raw batter.
Allow the cake to cool inside the pan for 5 minutes then gently turn it out onto a wire baking rack. Allow the cake to cool completely, then cut into large bite-size cubes.
Coffee and Mascarpone Cream:
6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
3 large, cold, pasteurized egg yolks
16 ounces (452 grams) mascarpone cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of rum, more to taste
1 tablespoon cold strong coffee, more to taste
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
Use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and egg yolks until the mixture is light in color and thick, about 2-3 minutes. Add the mascarpone and beat until completely incorporated and smooth.
Add the salt, rum, and coffee. Beat to combine. Taste and add more coffee or rum if you like.
To assemble the parfaits:
Add a few cubes of cake to a glass or a bowl and top with a generous layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat these layers, cake cubes and mascarpone cream. Dust the top with a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes: For a stronger coffee or rum flavor, sprinkle the cubes of cake with some additional rum or coffee. The mascarpone cream can be flavored in whatever way you like, it doesn’t have to be rum and coffee. Instead, use vanilla or almond extract, or even lemon or orange extract, or play around with different flavored liquors!
