Chef notes
Panettone is a must-have in every Italian household. Here, the holiday cake joins traditional ladyfingers in a creamy, indulgent tiramisu.
Technique tip: Don't skip the gelatin; it helps the custard hold better.
Swap option: Swap panettone for any other pound cake, just slice it thinly. Also swap rum for any other liquor of choice.
Special equipment: Springform pan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1/4 cup rum
- 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 pound mascarpone, softened at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons rum
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 orange, zested
- Italian ladyfingers
- 1 whole panettone
- sugared cranberries (optional)
Preparation
Line a 10-inch springform pan with plastic wrap and set aside.
For the syrup:
In a saucepan, add the water and sugar, and cook just long enough to melt the sugar then allow to cook in a shallow bowl, once cooled, add the juice of 1 orange followed by the rum, set aside.
For the custard:
1.Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set it aside.
2.In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream with a handheld electric whisk until it forms stiff peaks; set aside.
3.In a separate smaller bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar with the electric whisk until it forms thick pale-yellow ribbons, and set that aside as well.
4.In another bowl, using the same electric whisk, whisk together the mascarpone, rum, vanilla, orange zest and remaining 1/4 cup of sugar (don't panic if it thickens a bit) then add the whipped egg yolk mixture, mix that in gently with a spatula, then fold in the whipped cream while drizzling the gelatin water and continue to mix until well-combined, then set aside.
To assemble:
Start assembling your cake by lining the edge of your prepared pan with ladyfingers, then add your first layer of panettone (cut it however you need to make it fit) then add a generous amount of the syrup to the sponge, followed by 1/3 of the custard, and repeat the same process until you're at the top. Loosely cover with more plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge overnight.
Remove the sides of the pan then slide the cake off the plastic onto a platter, fill the inside with sugared cranberries, if using, and serve.
