Royal treat - princess cake - Recipe

Sunset, Dec, 1999 by Jerry Anne Di Vecchio

A cake at home on a pedestal

* When my friend Danielle entertains, she's apt to offer one of her two favorite things for dessert: chocolate - in any form - or a princess cake, an old Swedish classic. The name is fitting; that's precisely how you feel when dessert is served. And this royal cake can pull rank during the holidays. Santa would swoon if he found a wedge waiting with his glass of milk.

The smooth mantle of marzipan that wraps a princess cake like a gift is probably what makes most cooks assume it's difficult to make. Nothing could be further from the delicious truth. This very manageable dessert is assembled like building blocks. And it has the potential for a wide variety of flavor shifts. Bake one cake, split it, moisten the layers with a light syrup (any flavor you like, with or without liqueur), and fill them with a fluffy cream (good enough for dessert on its own, flavored as you like). The easiest part looks the hardest: the marzipan wrap (the Swedes like to tint it pale green). Just roll out the marzipan like a pie crust and fit it onto the cake like a second skin - with that spandex cling.

Princess Gateau

PREP AND CHILL TIME: With all the ingredients ready to use, about 1 1/2 hours

NOTES: You can assemble the cake up to 2 days ahead. The cake and syrup can be made 1 day before assembling; cover separately and store at room temperature. Prepare filling just before you put the cake together.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

Sponge cake (recipe follows)

Orange syrup (recipe follows)

Cream filling (recipe follows)

2 packages (7 oz. each) marzipan

1. With a long, serrated knife, slice cake in half horizontally Place bottom half, cut side up, on a wide plate. Moisten evenly with 2/3 of the orange syrup.

2. Spoon all the cream filling onto bottom cake half; if it flows over the sides, set cake in the refrigerator for a few minutes until filling is firm enough to stay in place, then scrape it back on top.

3. Set remaining cake half, cut side down, on filling, aligning neatly with bottom half. With a short spatula held upright against cake sides, smooth filling into crevices between the layers. Cover airtight with a large inverted bowl and chill at least 1 hour.

4. With a thin skewer, pierce top of cake (but not filling) at 1/2-inch intervals, then slowly spoon remaining orange syrup over cake, letting it soak in. Cover cake with bowl again and chill while you roll out marzipan.

5. With your hands, knead marzipan into a single lump, then pat into a 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick round, pressing edges to keep them smooth. With a rolling pin, roll marzipan between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (keep smooth) to make a neat round 14 to 15 inches wide (lift plastic occasionally to press cracking edges together, then lay plastic back on top).

6. Pull off top piece of plastic wrap. Supporting marzipan with bottom piece of plastic wrap, invert it over cake, center, lay it on cake, and peel off wrap. Gently press marzipan neatly against sides of cake and plate rim around cake. With a knife or fluted ravioli cutter, trim marzipan flush with cake base on plate. Remove marzipan scraps and shape into decorations, such as the ribbon shown below; arrange on cake. Serve cake, or cover with inverted bowl and chill.

Per serving: 338 cal., 32% (108 cal.) from fat; 6 g protein; 12 g fat (7 g sat.); 47 g carbo (0.3 g fiber); 130 mg sodium; 99 mg chol.

Sponge Cake

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 35 minutes

MAKES: A 9-inch cake; 8 to 10 servings

About 2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan with removable rim.

2. In a bowl, mix flour and baking powder.

3. In a 1- or 2-cup glass measure in a microwave oven at full power (100%), or in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan over medium heat, warm milk with 2 tablespoons butter until butter is melted, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes.

4. In another bowl with a mixer on high speed, whip eggs, sugar, and vanilla until foamy. Add flour and milk mixtures. Stir to mix, then beat until well blended. Scrape batter into buttered pan.

5. Bake in a 350 [degrees] oven until cake edge just begins to pull from pan sides and top springs back when lightly pressed in the center, 20 to 25 minutes. Invert cake onto a rack and turn rounded side up. Let cool 20 minutes. Use, or cover when cool and store at room temperature up to 1 day.

Per serving: 168 cal., 21% (35 cal.) from fat; 3 g protein; 3.9 g fat (2.1 g sat.); 30 g carbo (0.3 g fiber); 95 mg sodium; 50 mg chol.

Orange Syrup

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 25 minutes

MAKES: About I cup

In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan over high heat, bring to a boil 1 1/4 cups orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon coriander seed, and 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. Boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; discard residue. Add 1/4 cup rum, orange-flavor liqueur, or more orange juice.