For the dough
- 6 eggs
- 1 ¾ cups of wheat flour
- 1 1/3 cups of sugar
- 50 grams of cocoa
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda
- 1 pinch of salt
- Butter for greasing
For the cream
- 300 grams of butter
- 400 grams of powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons of milk
- 80 grams of 100% pure cocoa or chocolate
For the syrup (optional)
- 200 grams of sugar
- 200 ml of water
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon of almond liqueur
For this preparation, I reviewed several recipes. Most of them do not include syrup because the chocolate cream has a very intense flavor. However, generally speaking, Cubans enjoy desserts with syrup, and the recipe presented by Ángela García and Hans Geel in their book *Tartas del Mundo* includes it. My suggestion is that when you go to assemble the Tatianoff, you should decide whether or not to incorporate it based on the consistency of the sponge cake and the flavor of the cream. It's up to your taste. But if you choose to use it, this would be the first step.
Put all the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan. Place it over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Let it boil and then remove it from the heat. This is a light syrup.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
You will need two molds of the same size. In this case, I used removable molds with a diameter of 15 cm. Grease the molds with butter and dust them with flour. Set them aside for later.
To make the panetela, separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, gradually adding the sugar while continuing to beat. A meringue should form. It doesn't have to be perfect in peaks, but it should be firm. Add the yolks and the vanilla extract, and continue beating until well combined.
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt) in a bowl and sift them to prevent clumping. Gradually fold them into the meringue with the egg yolks. For this step, use a sturdy spatula to make gentle folding motions with the flour. Once everything is incorporated, the batter will be thick.
Pour the batter into the molds, making sure it is divided into equal portions. Bake it for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep in mind that every oven has its own characteristics, so it's important to pay attention to the cooking time to ensure it doesn’t remain undercooked or overbake. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center; it should come out clean. Once they are ready, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool.
To prepare the cream, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together. You will achieve a thick cream; then, add the cocoa and continue beating until it is fully integrated.
To assemble the Tatianoff, first prepare the sponge cakes. Since we need to create several layers, it’s best to carefully cut both sponge cakes in half. Use a bread knife, as it allows for a more even cut without tearing the cake.
Once you have the four layers ready, soak them in the syrup. Try to distribute the syrup evenly; avoid soaking one layer more than the others, as this could throw off the balance of the cake.
Place the first layer of the cake in the serving dish you will use for your Tatianoff and add cream. Spread it evenly, as the balance of the cake depends on this step. Repeat the process until it is fully assembled. Spread cream on the sides of the Tatianoff and decorate it to your liking. In this case, we used a piping bag for the flowers, but you can also decorate it with chocolate shavings, which looks just as nice. I shaped the sides using the edge of a bread knife while rotating the cake.
You don't need a professional kitchen to make this dessert. It's a fun recipe with an intense and delicious chocolate flavor that will bring back many memories of Cuba.
Enjoy your meal!