ITALIAN RUM CREAM CAKE BY FREDA

Steps:

• 1. **Sponge Cake Directions:** Preheat Oven @ 375 Butter and Flour (2) 8-9" cake pans, set aside. 1. Beat egg yolks and sugar in bowl till Lemon colored. 2. Add Flour Sifted, little at a time, Blend well. 3. Add Vanilla 4. Beat Egg Whites till stiff but not dry, Fold into batter. 5. Pour batter into Prepared Pans. 6. Bake 40 min. or til toothpick inserted comes out clean. 7. remove from oven, invert cake out of the pans, onto rack to cool completely. 8. Note: Cake Can be Tightly wrapped and refrigerated over night or frozen up to 3 weeks.
• 2. **RUM SYRUP DIRECTIONS:** Method #1. Mix together ingredients in small pot, Bring to boil, stirring til sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool before using. When Cool, Brush genouously over cake. METHOD #2. If you prefer, Brush cake with 1/3 Cup Rum diluted with 1/4 Cup water.
• 3. **ITALIAN PASTRY CREAM:** 1. Mix Sugar, egg, flour & Vanilla in a saucepan. 2. in seperate Pan, Scald Milk. 3. "Very Slowly pour milk over egg yolks" in a thin stream as to not Cook the eggs. Beating constantly with mixer. 4. Cooking over low heat, stir with wooden spoon, until mixture reaches boiling point. Cook for 4 min longer, must stir constantly. 5. Remove pan from heat, add butter, and stirr well. Pour into Bowl Cover and Chill . Stir occasionally to prevent film from forming on top of custard cream. 6. chill 3-4 hrs til very thick for use as filling.
• 4. ** WHIPPED CREAM** Stabilized 1. in a large Chilled Bowl. Put bowl in freezer to chill. chill beaters also. 2.Beat cold Cream until it just starts to thicken. 3. add Corn syrup, & vanilla down the Sides of the cold Bowl. 4. Beat to stiff peaks form.
• 5. ** ASSEMBLY OF CAKE** 1. Slice Cake in 1/2 to form two layers. 2. Slice the two layers in 1/2 again making 4 thin layers. 3. Place bottom layer on plate cut side up brush with rum syrup becarful not to get cake too wet, or the layers will be soggy.. allow to soak in for about 5 min. 4. Brush rum on the remaining layers on cut side up evenly with the rum. do not saturate the layers. You only want to flavor the cakes by brushing the rum on the cakes. (Do Not Saturate the layers) 5.Top bottom layer with the vanilla pastry cream, filling. 6. then another layer of rum brushed sponge cake. 7. Next a layer of the Whipped Cream 8. top with another layer of the Sponge layer cake 9. another layer of the pastry cream 10. last layer of the sponge cake 11. top entire cake & sides with whip Cream. reserving Enough whipped cream for making Roseettes on top of the cake. 12 final step cover entire sides of the cake with the Sliced almonds.
• 6. This cake is TOTALLY WORTH every bit of the Effort. TIP: I take one layer and cut the Cake in 1/2. following steps, 1,2,3 and I make (2) cakes out of the recipe. How about that. . . 2 cakes in one. It is just too much cake & 2 many layers for one Cake.