Authentic Italian Mimosa Cake Recipe (Torta Mimosa)

Ingredients

Ingredient notes and substitutions

• Eggs with deep golden yolks – give the sponge a warm yellow tone without food coloring. Regular eggs work fine; the cake will be paler.
• Sugar – caster (extra-fine) sugar gives the best texture, but granulated sugar is acceptable.
• Italian 00 flour – can be substituted with all-purpose flour.
• Vanilla – use vanilla bean paste, a scraped vanilla pod, or pure vanilla extract. Avoid artificial vanilla essence if possible.
• Liqueur – Strega gives a classic flavour; Limoncello is a citrusy alternative. Omit if you prefer a non-alcoholic syrup.

To make the sponge

Grease two 8-inch (20 cm) cake pans with butter, line the bottoms with baking parchment and lightly flour the sides. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) static.

Place 6 eggs, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt in a stand mixer and whisk on medium speed for 15–20 minutes until the mixture is pale, thick and ribbons appear when the beater is lifted.

Gently sift the flour and cornstarch into the whipped eggs a tablespoon or two at a time, folding carefully after each addition until fully incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake on the bottom shelf for about 40 minutes.

When the cakes are done, turn off the oven and leave the door slightly ajar with the cakes inside for 5 minutes, then remove and cool in the tins for 5–10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the pastry cream

Tip: prepare the pastry cream while the cakes are baking so it has time to cool.

Warm the milk with vanilla and the lemon peel in a saucepan just to a simmer, then remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar until combined, then whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.

Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the hot milk, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Transfer to a shallow dish to cool quickly and press plastic wrap onto the surface to prevent a skin forming.

Make the sugar water

Combine ½ cup (125 ml) water and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar dissolves. Cool the syrup, then stir in 2 tablespoons Strega or Limoncello if using.

Make the Chantilly cream

Whip 450 ml (2 cups) heavy cream with 5 tablespoons (55 g) powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Make sure not to overwhip.

Fold the cold pastry cream into the whipped cream in three additions until smooth and homogeneous. Chill until ready to assemble.

Trim the top crust from one sponge and cut it into three even layers. Remove the top and side crusts from the second sponge, slice it, then cut the slices into three lengthwise strips and dice into small 1 cm cubes to use for the cake covering.

Place the bottom layer on a serving plate, brush with sugar syrup and spread one third of the filling evenly. Top with the next sponge layer, repeat with syrup and filling, then add the final layer. Cover the top and sides with the remaining cream, then press the small sponge cubes or crumbs all over the exterior so the cake resembles mimosa blossoms.

Ways to decorate your mimosa cake

There are two popular finishes that both create the look of mimosa flowers:

1. Cubes – cut the second sponge into small cubes and attach them to the frosted cake for a textured, blossom-like finish.
2. Crumbs – crumble the sponge into fine crumbs and gently press them onto the frosted cake for a softer, more uniform look.

Recipe tips and FAQs

• Read through the whole recipe first – a Mimosa cake has several components, so reviewing the steps and photos or video before starting makes the process smoother.
• Yellow sponge – eggs with deep orange yolks produce a richer color. If unavailable, a touch of yellow food coloring is optional.
• Prepare cake tins properly – grease and line bottoms, lightly butter the sides and dust with flour, removing any excess.
• Don’t open the oven door – bake the sponges for the full time to prevent them from collapsing, then let them rest briefly in the turned-off oven with the door ajar before removing.
• Keep sponge cubes moist – the layers are soaked with syrup to remain tender, but the small cubes on top can dry out; reserve some syrup to re-moisten them if needed.