Ready Time: 55 mins

Preparation Time: 25 mins

Cooking Time: 30 mins + cooling time

Serves: 8-10

melina-puntoriero.jpg

Melina Puntoriero

Food I am Cooking School & Culinary Institute Consultant

foodiam.com.au

Melina runs Food I am Cooking School's Italian program, salami workshops and professional pasta program. Melina also consults with some of Italy's top culinaiy Institutes and now through the Manuelina Culinaiy Institute, she and her team of chefs are bringing Authentic Italian Regional Cuisine to the world.. From Norma to Master Chefs.
  

 

Ingredients

Sponges

Pear Syrup

Filling

Method

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base and sides of 2 x 22cm round cake tins.
  2. In a bowl,beat eggs and sugar together until thick and tripled in volume.
  3. Place hazelnuts and flour into the bowl of the Kitchen Wizz Food Processor; process until fine. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
  4. Gradually sprinkle flour mixture over egg mixture while simultaneously folding in with a large metal spoon until just combined. Divide mixture between prepared tins and level batter. Bake for 10 minutes or until cake begins to come away from the sides and springs back when gently touched.
  5. Turn out onto baking paper-lined wire racks. Carefully peel away baking paper, then leave to cool.

Pear Syrup

  1. Boil the sugar and water for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and then add the liqueur. Cool.

Filling

  1. Place the 8 mm diced pears in a saucepan, along with the lemon juice and the icing sugar. Place saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until sugar dissolves. Carefully add rum (as it may splatter) and cook for a further 5 minutes. Sprinkle a spoonful of potato starch or cornstarch over the mixture and stir until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  2. Place ricotta, caster sugar and vanilla into the Kitchen Wizz Food Processor bowl and process using the Quad® Blade until well combined.
  3. Whip the cream. Combine cream and ricotta mixture and continue to beat until mixture is firm. Refrigerate and set aside.

To Assemble

  1. Brush a little of the syrup onto each sponge cake. Top one sponge cake with the ricotta cream and pear mixture. Top with second sponge cake. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Dust with icing sugar, then spoon extra diced pear on top and serve.