The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [275]
2. Put the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, the espresso, and salt in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water; whisk until thick, about 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and vanilla by hand until smooth. Stir in the torrone; set aside.
3. Beat the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a clean mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream with a rubber spatula into mascarpone mixture. Refrigerate.
4. Line a 10 × 5 × 3-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap and parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides. Pour one-third of the mascarpone mixture into the lined pan; even the layer with an offset spatula. Evenly top with half of the crumb mixture; press the crumbs gently. Repeat to make a second layer of mascarpone mixture and crumbs. Top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Loosely fold over the parchment and plastic wrap. Freeze at least 3 hours, or overnight.
5. To serve, let the cake stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Set the loaf pan in a larger pan; pour cold water into the pan to reach three-quarters up the sides of the loaf pan. Let stand 10 seconds. Holding the parchment, lift out the cake. Invert onto a plate; peel off the plastic and parchment. Let stand 10 minutes more before serving.
lemon semifreddo cake
MAKES TWO 4 × 8-INCH CAKES
For perfectly smooth slices, cut the layered cake with a hot serrated knife. The cake can be wrapped well in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
Vanilla Sheet Cake (recipe follows)
9 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
½ cup cold water
5 large egg whites
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons light rum
1. Line the bottoms and sides of two 5 × 9-inch loaf pans with parchment paper; set aside. Using a serrated knife, trim all edges of the vanilla sheet cake by 1 inch so it measures 8 × 12 inches. Slice the cake widthwise, through the top, into 3 vertical pieces, each 4 × 8 inches. Split each piece in half, slicing horizontally through the crumb. You should have six 4 × 8-inch layers. Set aside.
2. Make the semifreddo: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks, ½ cup granulated sugar, and 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar until smooth.
3. Add the wine, ½ cup lemon juice, and lemon zest; cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, and scraping across the bottom to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bowl, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to a large bowl. Let cool to room temperature (or place the pan in an ice-water bath, stirring occasionally).
4. When the custard has cooled, combine the cold water, ½ cup granulated sugar, and remaining teaspoon lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the mixture is slightly thickened and registers 240°F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes; wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Remove from heat, and let the mixture cool 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and remaining tablespoon sugar on medium-high speed until stiff but not until dry peaks form. With the mixer still running, slowly drizzle the syrup mixture into the egg whites; continue beating until the meringue has cooled slightly and the bowl is cool to the touch.
6. In another large mixing bowl, whip the cream with the remaining 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled lemon mixture; fold in the egg white mixture. The mixture