White Lady cake

Discover the history of White Lady cake.

1. Vanilla sponge cake

   • 375 g weak or pastry flour
   • 225 g whole milk
   • 150 g vanilla or white sugar
   • 150 g eggs (3)
   • 150 g sunflower or neutral oil
   • 18 g baking powder
   • 8 g vanilla
   • 3 g salt

   • Start by combining the eggs and sugar in the bowl of the mixer and beat on medium speed for about 7 minutes until the mixture doubles in volume.
   • Then add the oil and mix in.
   • Next, sift the flour together with the royal baking powder and add half of it to the previous mixture.
   • Then, with a spatula, mix it all together and add the milk.
   • Add the rest of the flour, the salt and the vanilla and combine until you have a smooth, even dough.
   • Now pour the mixture into a 22 cm round baking tin lined with baking paper.
   • Finally, bake for 50 minutes at 170º C.
   • Leave to cool to room temperature and cover with cling film until use.

2. Walnut praline

   • 200 g peeled walnuts
   • 60 g white sugar

   • Put the peeled walnuts on a baking tray and bake them for 15 minutes at 150º C.
   • Meanwhile, cook the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns into a caramel and acquires a deep amber colour.
   • Then turn off the heat and transfer the caramel to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
   • Let the walnuts and caramel cool until completely crystallised.
   • When the caramel has hardened, break it up, put it in a food processor together with the walnuts and process until it becomes a liquid, uniform and shiny paste.
   • Leave to cool and set aside at room temperature.

3. Marzipan

   • 160 g ground almonds
   • 135 g powdered sugar
   • 35 g honey
   • 20 g filtered water
   • White edible food colouring

   • In a bowl, mix the ground flour, icing sugar, honey and water. The mixture should be mouldable, not too light but not too crumbly or crumbly. If the mixture is still dry, we can add a spoonful or two of water, adding it a little at a time.
   • Then add a few drops of white colouring to whiten the dough.
   • Make a ball, cover it with cling film and set aside.

4. Walnut pastry cream

   • 440 g whole milk
   • 150 g walnut praline
   • 90 g egg yolks (6)
   • 80 g white sugar
   • 65 g butter
   • 50 g corn flour
   • 5 g vanilla
   • 2 g gelatine

   • First, hydrate the gelatine in cold water for at least 10 minutes.
   • Heat the milk and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to the boil.
   • Meanwhile, in a bowl, with a whisk, mix the sifted cornstarch, egg yolks and sugar until a uniform, lump-free mixture is obtained.
   • When the milk comes to the boil, pour it over the egg yolk mixture in a trickle and mix it with the whisk, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the heat and cook over a medium heat until the cream thickens.
   • When the mixture has thickened, turn off the heat, add the gelatine and butter and mix well.
   • Add the walnut praline and mix with the whisk.
   • Transfer the custard to a bowl and cover with cling film in contact with the custard. Keep in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours until ready to use.

5. Walnut diplomat cream

   • 350 g heavy cream (35% fat)
   • 100 g peeled walnuts
   • 1/2 of the walnut pastry cream
   • 10 g water
   • 2 g gelatine

   • First hydrate the gelatine in a glass of cold water for 10 minutes.
   • When the custard has cooled and gained consistency, separate half of it and stir it in a bowl with a whisk to make it creamy again.
   • In another bowl, whip the cream into stiff peaks and fold it into the custard using a rubber spatula.
   • Place the 10 g of water and the hydrated gelatine in a glass and heat briefly in the microwave until the gelatine is completely dissolved in the water. Stir with a teaspoon and add to the previous mixture. Mix well with a rubber spatula.
   • Finally, chop the walnuts and add them to the previous mixture.
   • Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

6. Hazelnut liqueur syrup

   • 100 g water
   • 80 g white sugar
   • 30 g Frangelico / hazelnut liqueur / walnut liqueur

   • In a saucepan, heat the water and sugar over medium heat until completely dissolved.
   • Then, turn off the heat, pour the mixture into a cup or glass and add the liqueur.
   • Set aside until use.

7. Assembly

   • 150 g heavy cream (35% fat)
   • 10 g powdered sugar

   • First, remove the top of the sponge cake to smooth it and then cut it into three discs of equal thickness.
   • Then, place the bottom disc on a plate and soak them with a little of the hazelnut liqueur syrup using a kitchen brush.
   • Next, add half of the reserved pastry cream and smooth it with a spatula and spread it over the surface of the sponge cake.
   • Then, place a second disc of sponge cake and soak it in hazelnut syrup.
   • Now add the diplomatic cream on top of the second disc of sponge cake, which must be cold from the fridge, and spread it in the shape of a hemisphere, i.e. the central part is where we will have more cream and it will decrease as we get closer to the ends.
   • Refrigerate for about 30 minutes so that the cream hardens.
   • Then, carefully place the last disc of sponge cake on top of the diplomatic cream and soak it with the hazelnut syrup.
   • Next, whip the cream into stiff peaks and spread a thin layer all over the cake.
   • Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours so that all the layers harden and become firm.
   • Finally, using a rolling pin, smooth the marzipan on our work surface generously sprinkled with icing sugar to a thickness of 1-2 mm and carefully roll it out on the cake.
   • Carefully adjust the mazpan layer over the cake with the help of your hands and when it has covered the whole cake, is smooth and flat and there are no folds, cut off the excess with a knife.
   • Gather the excess into a ball and smooth it out again, making a 1 cm wide strip to put around the base of the cake.
   • On the other side, we make 6-8 small balls, about 2 cm in diameter, and smooth them into an oval shape about 1-2 mm thick, trying to make one side of the oval thinner than the centre. Start by rolling one oval over itself and roll the rest of the oval over it to form a rose. Make a cross cut in the centre of the cake and place our rose.
   • Finally, sprinkle a little icing sugar on top.
   • Keep in the fridge until ready to eat and leave at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.

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