Sunday Slow Bakers - Week 4 Grappa-soaked Mini Sponge Cakes

Krista came up with an idea that it would be fun to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. A group of us on Slow Travel are going to do just that. Each participant selects a recipe from the cookbook and we all work our way through it. Today is the fourth entry in our baking challenge as we continue to work our way through Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma (who also happens to be a member of the slowtravel community).

This week's selection, Grappa-Soaked Mini Sponge Cakes (pan di spagna con grappa), was selected by Palma. It presented folks with a few challenges - many of us didn't have mini bundt cake pans. Some used a large bundt pan, others muffin tins. Me? I had an mini easter egg bundt tin which I have used once. I was far too concerned about saving money for our upcoming trip to Italy to buy a new pan. I made easter egg grappa soaked mini sponge cakes.

The other challenge was in finding the grappa. Sandi searched in vain but discovered that the Piggly Wiggly in Alabama just did not carry the stuff. I had no trouble finding grappa but it was only available in huge bottles. Funny that I had no trouble shelling out $ 50 bucks for grappa but would not buy new cake pans 10 days prior to leaving for Italy . . . I ended up buying a Mazzetti Grappa di nebbiolo in honour of our upcoming trip to Piemonte. Others used brandy, amaretto, or lemoncello.

I only needed 4 tablespoons of the grappa for the cakes, I am sure that Paul will drink the rest of the stuff. . . .

This is Paul knocking back a third glass of Casa Emma grappa during our tour of the winery back in /06. It was thoughtful of his to drink mine because I was driving, his own because he just can't waste a good drink, and mom's because she was already 'overserved'. I'm not sure that he has recovered from his grappa induced coma though.

Grappa-soaked Mini Sponge Cakes

For the grappa syrup:

3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons grappa
1/4 cup water

For the sponge cakes:

2 cups cake flour (I used all-purpose)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
8 large eggs, separated (mine were extra-large so I only used 7)
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grappa
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray and flour 2 mini bundt pans (or one large bundt pan).

Stir together the ingredients for the grappa syrup in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl. Set aside.

Place the egg yolks, sugar, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed until they are very light, pale yellow, and doubled in volume (about 3 minutes). Beat in the grappa and vanilla, followed by the melted butter. Transfer this mixture into a large mixing bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients quickly and lightly, using a large rubber spatula, stopping just before they are fully mixed together.

Clean the mixer bowl and whisk attachment and carefully dry. Place the egg whites and salt in the bowl and beat on medium-high speed until foamy and light. Add the cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter quickly and lightly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Smooth the tops. Bake the cakes for 20 - 25 minutes (note, the time will be longer if you are making one large cake), or until the cakes pull away from the sides of the pans. Allow the cakes to cool for about five minutes in the pans. Carefully remove them to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Gently brush the cakes with grappa syrup, being sure to cover the entire surface of the warm cakes with the syrup. Use all of the syrup. Allow the cakes to cool completely before serving.

Gina suggests serving the cakes with whipped cream (to which you could add a small quantity of the syrup), creme fraiche, or gelato. They could also be garnished with fresh fruit or simply dusted with icing sugar.

We enjoyed our cakes with a bit of gelato. They were amazing! The grappa syrup was delicious, although the grappa flavour isn’t very strong as most of the alcohol does burn off while the syrup is cooking. The little cakes are pretty and make for an attractive presentation. I will definately be making this recipe again (hmmm - I guess I should have sprung for those new pans! *smile*)

You can see how the other slow bakers met this challenge on their blogs . . .

Destination Anywhere
Cooking at the Whistlestop Cafe
Happy Trails for Us; My Reluctant Blog
In and Out of the Garden
Keep Your Feet in the Street
My Place in the Sun 
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail 
What I Really Think

Comments

[sandi @ the whistlestop cafe]

Mmmmmmmm. The cakes look amazing.
Paul- how do you put up with him????? ;-)

[Jerry]

Whatever do you mean Sandi? :-)

[sandrac]

Jerry, as yummy as those sound, I was struck by your vacation counter -- only 8 days until you leave?!!!! Oh my God, that's coming up fast (but not fast enough, I'm sure!)

Are you planning to blog during your trip, so we can enjoy Italy vicariously?

[Jerry]

Sandra - I do hope to keep the blog up while I am away. The eight days is more than fast enough. I'm starting to panic, my lists are spawning lists. One would think I have never travelled before! LOL

[girasoli]

Those little cakes are so cute and very yummy looking.

How exciting - 8 more days!! I know just what you mean about the lists. Although I have 7 more weeks before I leave, I have been avoiding thinking about any of the things I need to do/get prepared. I can't wait to read all about your trip.

[Deb R]

Those cakes look so yummy! 32 more days for us!

[Jerry]

Susan - we'll do our bext to post how things are going!

Deb - the countdowns become infectious don't they?

[Kayte]

I like the little oval cakes...sometimes it's just nice to have something a little different, right? They look great.

[Marcia]

Best Easter egg grappa sponge cakes anywhere! Seriously, if you want that Pam w/ flour . . .

[Jerry]

I agree Kayte! A variation is great. It was fascinating to see what the different slowbakers did with the recipe.

Hmm Marcia - I shall have to PM you!