Italian Rose Cake

Italian Rose Cake is easy to make and delicious.  What are you waiting for … make one today.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 3 1/3 cups (500 g) of bread flour

• ¾ cup (180 ml) of milk

• 3 medium eggs

• just under ½ cup (80 g) of sugar

• the grated zest of 1 orange

• 3,5 oz (100 g) of butter

• 1/3 oz (10 g) of fresh yeast

• 1 tbsp of vanilla extract

• 1 tsp of honey

• 1/3 tbsp (7 g) of salt For filling

• 2/3 cup (200 g) of orange marmalade (or apricot jam)

• 1 cup (100 g) of almond flour

• ½ cup (100 g) of sugar

• 3,5 oz (100 g) of butter

• 3-4 tbsp of heavy cream

For brushing

• 4 tbsp of heavy cream

• 1 egg yolk

For sprinkling

• slivered almonds, to taste

Directions

1. To prepare the rose cake, first place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, turn it on… to the lowest setting and beat in the yeast mixture, that is made by mixing the crumbled yeast with a little milk, subtracted from the total amount, and the honey. Add the remaining milk… the beaten eggs, at room temperature… then the sugar… the vanilla, I am using vanilla extract but you can use the seeds from a vanilla pod… the grated orange zest… and lastly the salt; let the mixer run for at least 10 minutes.

2. Once the gluten is developed in the dough, replace the paddle attachment with the dough hook; turn to the lowest speed, and add small pieces of butter, one at a time: don’t add the next piece of butter until the previous one has been incorporated; this step takes at least 10 minutes.

3. The dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured work surface and form into a ball, then place into a large bowl, that has been greased with butter, cover with cling film, and let it rise. After adding the butter, you’ll know that the dough is ready when it wraps around the hook; if it’s not happening, sprinkle some more flour from the sides of the mixing bowl.

4. Seal the bowl and place it in the turned off oven, but with the light turned on, until at least doubled in volume.

5. Towards the end of the rising time, prepare the filling for the rose cake, so replace the dough hook with the whisk attachment, and combine the softened butter, at room temperature… with the sugar… and beat until you have a pale, fluffy mixture; after that, add the almond flour and 3-4 tablespoons of heavy cream, and continue until smooth and creamy.

6. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/10 inch (2 mm), it should be approximately 16 inches (40 cm) wide by 24 inches (60 cm) long. Now spread the surface with the orange marmalade, like me, or apricot jam, if you prefer. After that, do the same with the butter and sugar mixture, that we made before… done! Now roll it up from the long side.

7. This is the resulting roll, that is 24 inches (60 cm) long; shape with your hands to make it even, and now divide into 12 equal pieces; so cut the first piece, of about 2 inches (5 cm), and place it in an 11-inch (28 cm) round baking pan, that has been buttered and floured. Arrange 8 pieces around the perimeter and place the other 4 pieces in the middle. Make sure that the roses are evenly spaced.

8. And here’s our rose cake before the last rising, yes, because we need to let it rise again in the turned off oven, with the light on, for at least an hour.

9. As you can see, the rose cake has risen, now brush with a mixture, that is made by mixing the egg yolk with 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream, then sprinkle with slivered almonds. Finally bake the cake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 45-50 minutes.

10. And here’s my gorgeous dessert bouquet! Finish it off with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar, and enjoy your rose cake!