My friend Roxy, who is based in London and works in finance, loves to cook for her friends and her friend's kids. One of her most loved recipes is the Tort Diplomat, also known as Diplomat Cake all the way from her native Romania; she hails from Bucharest.
It is a utterly sumptuous Romanian celebratory dessert, made usually for Christmas or New Year's Eve.
Imagine layers of soft sponge cake hugging a creamy, luscious filling, topped with vibrant slices of fresh fruits. This dessert is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the taste buds, taking centre stage on the table.
Roxy decorated the outer layer of the cake with ladyfingers but that's optional.
Roxy's Christmas Tort Diplomat or Diplomat Cake
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the sponge cake:
- 4 large eggs
- 120 gm or about ½ cup sugar
- 120 gm or about 1 cup maida or all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp butter, melted, optional + extra for greasing the cake pan
For the diplomat cream:
- 500 ml or about 2 cups milk
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 120 gm or about ½ cup sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 30 gm or about ¼ cup cornstarch
- 250 ml or 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar, for whipping the cream
- 2 gelatine sheets or 1 tsp powdered gelatine
For the assembly:
Cut fruits, like chopped kiwis, orange segments, chopped pineapple, cherries, strawberries
Method
For the sponge cake:
- Preheat an oven to 175°C or 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt until light and fluffy.
Gently fold in the vanilla extract, butter and the flour until just combined.
Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into a greased and lined 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Once baked, let the cake cool completely before taking it out of the pan.
IMAGE: Making the custard.
For the diplomat cream:
- In a saucepan, heat the milk with the split vanilla bean (or vanilla extract) until it's hot but not boiling, over medium heat.
Take off heat and let it steep.
Keep aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch until smooth.
Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and warm over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a gentle boil (please see the pic above).
Take off heat and cool slightly.
- If using gelatine sheets, soak them in cold water, then squeeze out the excess and stir them into the custard until dissolved.
If using gelatine powder, add to the custard and mix.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
Keep aside.
IMAGE: Whipping the cream.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
- Once the custard is cool, gently fold in the whipped cream until fully incorporated.
IMAGE: Final assembly.
Assembly:
- Slice the cooled sponge cake into 2 to 3 equal, round layers.
Place the first layer on a serving plate and spread half of the diplomat cream over it and on the sides.
Add any additional fillings, like fruit or jam, if desired.
Place the second layer on top and repeat the process.
If you have a third layer, add it on top and finish with the remaining cream and add ladyfingers on the sides, if you wish and have access to them.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to set properly.
- Before serving, decorate with colourful fresh fruits.
Slice into wedges to serve.