The other day when I watched "Sempre Mezzogiorno" the Italian Cooking show on RAI, Chef David Fiordigiglio was congratulated on having presented his Rose cake to the Pope - the "Pope's Cake,". It is the Vatican’s favorite dessert, created by both chefs David Fiordigiglio and Simone Falsaperla, a rose cake that has become an official dessert at the Swiss Guards' Grand Gala for the swearing-in ceremony. The Lombardy and Sicilian chefs are known for their delightful dessert, which features layers of petals and is enhanced at the table with Garda lemon cream. At the recent gala held in the Vatican Museums, over forty servings of the "Pope's Cake" were enjoyed, and the chefs expressed their excitement about the event, saying it was a great honor to discuss their creation. The Vatican's fondness for this dessert began during a meeting between Chef Fiordigiglio and Pope Leo XIV last March, where they discussed its key ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and Mauritian vanilla. After a successful tasting, the cake captured the hearts of the clergy and has solidified its place in Vatican celebrations.
Torta delle Rose - Rose Cake
Ingredients:
Ingredients for the starter dough: Manitoba flour 2.8 oz (80 g); Whole milk 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Fresh brewer's yeast 1 tsp (5 g); Butter 0.4 oz (10 g) - cold. For the dough (for a 22 cm mould); Manitoba flour 3.8 cups (450 g); Sugar (80 g); Butter 7.1 oz (100 g) – cold: Fresh brewer's yeast 0.5 oz (15 g); Eggs 4.2 oz (120 g) - (2 medium); Whole milk 0.8 cup (190 g); fine salt 1 tsp (5 g). For the filling: Butter 5 tbsp (70 g); Sugar (150 g); for brushing before baking: Egg yolks 1; Fresh liquid cream 1 ½ tbsp (20 g); for glazing after baking: Water 0.4 cup (100 g); Sugar ½ cup (100 g)
Preparation:
To prepare the Rose Cake, start by making the starter dough. In a bowl, mix flour, crumbled yeast, and butter. Add milk and stir until smooth. Knead briefly, shape into a ball, and let it rise in a covered bowl at room temperature for 45 to 60 minutes, or until doubled in size. Once risen, combine the starter dough, additional flour, and crumbled brewer's yeast in a stand mixer with a hook attachment. Knead at medium speed, gradually adding milk. Once homogeneous, incorporate sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Mix until combined. While the mixer runs, add butter cubes slowly until the mixture is smooth. Add salt and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. For the filling, soften butter in a bowl and mix in sugar. Set aside. To prepare the syrup, bring the water and sugar to a boil, then let it cool. When the dough has risen, flatten it on a floured surface and roll it into a 20x12-inch rectangle. Spread the butter mixture in the centre. Roll the dough from the closest edge and slice into pieces—one 3 inches thick and six smaller pieces. Place them in a buttered 9-inch springform pan, cut sides up, leaving space between the slices. Cover and let rise for another hour. After rising, beat the egg yolk and cream together. Brush this mixture over the risen cake. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 320°F and bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with cooled syrup after baking. Let cool for 30 minutes and enjoy warm to appreciate its aroma. Grazie a Giallo Zafferano!
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