Tortul copilăriei: cocoa cream cake with compote plums

Name: Tortul copilăriei: cocoa cream cake with compote plums
Ingredients: 6 eggs; 6 tablespoons sugar; 4 tablespoons ground walnuts; 3 tablespoons wheat flour; 1 packet vanilla sugar; 1 packet baking powder; 1 tablespoon apple vinegar; 1 tablespoon cocoa; 100 g Rama margarine; 4 eggs; 1000 ml fresh milk; 12 tablespoons sugar; 100 g chocolate; 200 g wheat flour; 1 rum essence; 200 g margarine; 2 tablespoons cocoa; 4 tablespoons ground walnuts; 100 ml syrup from plum compote; 2-3 plums from compote

Dessert - Tortul copilăriei: cocoa cream cake with compote plums by Olivia J. - Recipia

Tortul copilăriei (a Romanian childhood cake) has three cocoa sponge layers, a thick milk and chocolate cream and syrup from plum compote. It is usually served on holidays, cut into slices, and the boiled cream stays so dense that it does not run off the sponge. I choose whole compote plums, not crushed ones, so they show on the brown cream. Preparation: 30 minutes. Cooking: 35 minutes. Resting: 30 minutes. Total time: 95 minutes. Servings: 12. About 525 kcal and 11 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

For the sponge

6 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons ground walnuts
3 tablespoons wheat flour
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 packet baking powder
1 tablespoon apple vinegar
1 tablespoon cocoa
100 g Rama margarine

For the cream

4 eggs
1000 ml fresh milk
12 tablespoons sugar
100 g chocolate
200 g wheat flour
1 rum essence
200 g margarine
2 tablespoons cocoa

For soaking and decorating

4 tablespoons ground walnuts
100 ml syrup from plum compote
2-3 plums from compote

Preparation

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and put only the whites in the mixer bowl with 6 tablespoons sugar and 1 packet vanilla sugar. Beat until you get a very thick paste. 2. Add the yolks, 4 tablespoons ground walnuts, 3 tablespoons wheat flour, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1 packet baking powder slaked with 1 tablespoon apple vinegar and 100 g Rama margarine melted in a water bath. Mix well. 3. Pour the mixture into a tin lined with baking paper. 4. Bake the sponge in the oven preheated to 180°C, about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the sponge comes out clean, with no dough on it. 5. Take out the sponge and let it cool at room temperature, for at least 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, beat the 4 eggs in a bowl. 7. In another bowl, mix 200 g wheat flour with 2 tablespoons cocoa, add 200 ml fresh milk, boiled and cooled to room temperature, and mix until you get a paste. 8. In a pot put the remaining 800 ml fresh milk, 12 tablespoons sugar, the beaten eggs, the flour and cocoa paste and 100 g chocolate melted in a water bath. Boil everything over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes, until you get a very thick cream. 9. When bubbles appear on the surface, turn off the heat, add 200 g margarine and 1 rum essence and stir until incorporated. 10. Cut the sponge horizontally into three sheets. Put one sheet on the plate, soak it with 4 tablespoons syrup from plum compote and pour about 30% of the cream. 11. Put the second sheet, soak it with 4 tablespoons syrup and pour another 30% of the cream. 12. Put the last sheet, soak it with the remaining 2 tablespoons syrup, pour the rest of the cream over the cake and spread it evenly. 13. For decoration, drag the serrated knife over the surface of the cream. 14. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons ground walnuts over the cake and decorate with slices of plum compote.

Notes

The cake keeps covered in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the cream cuts more cleanly when it is well chilled. If it comes out too soft when cutting, leave it a little longer in the cold, because the cream firms up as it cools. Drain the plums from the compote well on a paper towel before placing them on top, otherwise they will wet the cream layer below. The edges of the sponge, which dry out first, are trimmed before the cream goes in, so the layers come out even. If you do not have plums, you can use cherries from compote in the same amount. It contains gluten, eggs, milk, nuts and margarine, so it is not suitable for people who are allergic to any of them. Serve it with black tea or coffee after a thick slice.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the cream come out lumpy?

Usually the cream was boiled too hard or was not stirred constantly. Keep the heat medium and, if flakes appear, pass the cream through a fine sieve, just once.

Can I replace the flour in the cream with starch?

Yes, but starch thickens twice as strongly, so use 100 g starch instead of 200 g flour, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water, and add it to the pot, into the cream that is boiling.

What do I do if the sponge breaks when cutting?

The pieces can be stuck back together with a little cream from the pot, spooned onto the edges. The cream on top hides the seams a little.