Christmas Recipes
Neapolitan Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1/2 cup ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 eggs whites (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- Green and red food coloring
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatine
- 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup strawberry jam
- 3/4 cup sweetened flake coconut
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. With cooking spray, coat three 9 x 5 x 2 inch loaf pans. Line with wax paper.
- Mix flour, almonds, baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until foamy.
- Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
- Sprinkle half the flour mixture over whites; fold in gently.
- Repeat with remaining flour.
- Fold in almond extract.
- Measure 1 1/4 cups batter into each of 2 separate bowls. Tint 1 light green, the other pink. Transfer pink batter into one pan, green batter into second, and remaining white batter into the third pan.
- Bake for 12 minutes, until tops spring back when pressed. Invert onto racks; peel off wax paper. Cool.
- Heat 1/4 cup of the cream and the gelatine in a saucepan; stir to dissolve. Cool.
- Beat remaining cream and confectioners' sugar in bowl until slightly thickened and frothy.
- Add gelatine mixture. Beat to stiff peaks.
- Place green layer on platter. Spread with half the jam.
- Top with 1/2 cup cream mixture. sprinkle with 1/4 cup coconut.
- Continue layering with white cake, remaining jam, 1/2 cup cream mixture and 1/4 cup coconut.
- Top with pink layer.
- Frost top and sides of cake with cream mixture.
- Place remaining flake coconut in plastic bag with 1 drop of green food coloring; knead to blend color.
- Sprinkle cake with tinted coconut.
- Refrigerate cake for 45 minutes or until whipped cream is firm.