Savarines, Romanian syrup-soaked cakes

Name: Savarines, Romanian syrup-soaked cakes
Ingredients: 4 eggs; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 4 tablespoons sugar; 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs; 1 tablespoon flour; 5 g baking powder; 350 ml water; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1 teaspoon rum essence; 350 ml whipping cream; 300 g fruit jam

Dessert - Savarines, Romanian syrup-soaked cakes by Luminita B. - Recipia

Savarines use breadcrumbs in place of some of the flour, and their airy crumb soaks up the rum-flavored syrup. They’re topped with whipped cream and jam, then a thin cake layer; cake glaze can also be used for the final layer. I like to use fine breadcrumbs for an even crumb. Prep time: 25 minutes. Cook time: 35 minutes. Rest time: 45 minutes. Total time: 105 minutes. Servings: 8. About 350 kcal and 5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the cakes

4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon flour
5 g baking powder

For the syrup

350 ml water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon rum essence

For the cream and topping

350 ml whipping cream
300 g fruit jam

Preparation

1. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon of salt until they hold their shape, then add the 4 tablespoons of sugar and beat until it dissolves. 2. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time, then the breadcrumbs. Mix the flour with the baking powder and fold it in last, using gentle strokes. 3. Divide the batter among 8 savarin molds and bake at 180°C for 30 minutes, until the cakes are browned. 4. Bring 350 ml of water and 3 tablespoons of sugar to a boil. Let the syrup boil for 5 minutes, add the rum essence and leave it to cool for 30 minutes. 5. Leave the cakes to cool for 30 minutes. Whip the cream until it holds its shape. 6. Pour the syrup over the cooled cakes and leave them for 15 minutes to soak it up. 7. Cut a lid from each cake. Spread half the jam over the bases, add the whipped cream, put the lids back on and spread the rest of the jam on top.

Notes

I serve them with black coffee; their texture reminds me of syrup-soaked sponge cake, but the breadcrumbs make the crumb coarser. Fine, dry breadcrumbs mix in evenly, while coarse ones leave the crumb less uniform. Small molds may bake faster than standard ones, so check the edges before the 30 minutes are up. Choose a fairly thick jam; if it has large pieces of fruit, spread it with the back of a spoon so it doesn’t slide off the lid. Sometimes the cake breaks if it’s soaked too much all at once; pour the liquid on gradually and stop when it’s well soaked. I keep them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days; the cakes can be baked a day ahead and soaked when cool. The jam can be made from any fruit, and cake glaze can be used on top instead of the second layer of jam. They contain gluten, eggs and dairy.