Neapolitan Christmas Cake

 Baking Partners#5 challenge for this month is Christmas Cakes and we were suggested three wonderful recipes.I chose to bake the Neapolitan Christmas cake by Susan Kelliher Ungaro  (ed.)Family Circle-Best Ever Cakes and Cookies, Broadway Book, New York,2001, p. 214 .I must admit that this is a very light,fluffy moist cake perfect for any celebration and each bite into this cake was very delicious.If you are planning for a small bake for Christmas,go ahead & try this cake.My son has already demanded this cake for his birthday too.Try n you will surely love it !!!

Ingredients

cake flour(not self rising) 1 cup (refer notes)

ground almonds ½ cup

baking powder 1 tsp

salt ¼ tsp

egg whites (about 1 cup) 8 

cream of tartar ¼ tsp(refer notes)

granulated sugar ¾ cup

almond extract ¼ tsp(refer notes)

Green and red food coloring

Filling and topping

unflavored gelatin 1 tsp

heavy cream 1 ¾ cup

confectionary sugar 3 tsp -5tsp

strawberry jam ¼ cup(refer notes)

coconut flakes, sweetened ¾ cup(refer notes)

Method-

-Pre heat oven to 350 degree F. Coat three loaf 9 1/4 *5 ¼ inch loaf pan with non stick cooking spray and line with wax paper. Instead of using three separate pans ,I used a 8* 8 square pan and divided the pan with a foil wrapped several times to help reinforce the divide,then fold the parchment paper in half and foil in the crease.Place it in the tray and butter the pan so that the parchment paper is well glued.And I made the third part into bread loaf pan 9*5 pan.

(Preparing a square pan by a foil divider)

-Whisk together flour, ground almonds(refer notes), baking powder and salt. In a separate clean gfrease free bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar(or salt) until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar in medium high until stiff peaks are formed. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the beaten egg whites and fold in gently. Repeat with the remaining flour and fold in almond /vanilla extract.

(Batter preparation steps)

-Measure ¼ cup of batter into two separate bowls and mix one with green food color and another with pink and keep the remaining as white. Pour this batter into three separate pans/prepared pans. 
-Bake for about 12 minutes. (mine was done at 12)The center of the cake layers springs back when lightly pressed with finger tips. Invert cake into wire racks and allow cooling.

Prepare the filling

-Sprinkle gelatin over ¼ cup of cream and let it stand for one minute to soften. Stir over low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat.

-With a mixer on medium speed beat the remaining 1 1/2 cup cream and confectioners sugar till it thickens and is frothy. Add gelatin mixture. Beat until stiff peaks form.

(Frosting & layering)

Assembling the Cake

-Place green cake on a platter and spread two tablespoons of jam over the cake and then spread 1/3 cup of whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of coconut flakes. Repeat layering with white cake and finally place the pink cake on top. Sprinkle the rest of the coconut on top of the cake.Smooth out the whipping cream.

-Refrigerate the cake for 45 minutes or till the whipped cream is firm.And can make designs on top.I added a few halved cherries.

NOTES
* I blanched the almonds in hot boiling water and removed the skin.Wiped it dry on a paper towel and then powdered it.You can use almond with skins too.Measure the ground almonds and not the almond as a whole for the cake.
* You can substitute the cake flour by using all purpose flour & corn starch.The measures are for making 1 cup cake flour: 2 tablespoon corn starch + Rest of all purpose flour.I used this substitution by adding 2 tbsp of corn starch in the measure and then filling the rest with all purpose flour upto the 1 cup mark.
* You can add a pinch of salt in place of cream of tartar.
* I have added vanilla extract instead of almond extract.
* I used a two drops of red color to make pink.
* I have used raspberry jam instead of strawberry jam.You can use either of the two.
* I haven't added coconut flakes in layers,instead topped with maraschino cherries.
* The original recipe calls for 3tsp confectioners sugar in the filling but I increased to 5 tsp as it was very mildy sweet.

Sending this to  Baking Partners# 5 started off by Swathi @ Zesty South Indian Kitchen
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