8th March is International Women’s Day and for the occasion I attempted a mimosa tart.
Mimosa is a flower with golden yellow blooms that blossoms in this period of the year and that has become the symbol of Women’s Day. I have seen mimosa plants on a couple of places here in the UK, which is not an ideal place for mimosas to grow due to the climate.
In Italy, instead, you’d fine mimosas everywhere and flower shops are filled with these golden bouquets this time of the year.
Mimosa cakes simulate the flowers. You’ll need to make a simple sponge cake. Once cooked, dice it into small cubes and attach them to the cake. And since I love fruit tarts, I decided to use this technique on a fruit tart. There are a few steps to follow with this recipe, but it is totally worth for a wow effect (both for the eyes and palate!).
Enjoy!
Mimosa Fruit Tart
Ingredients
For the tart base
For the sponge cake
For the custard cream
To garnish
Instructions
Prepare the tart base
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Take a large bowl and add the sugar, salt and butter. "Crumble" the butter using your fingerprints. Add the egg, grated orange zest and work them using a pastry blender or fork untill well combined. Add the flours and continue with a blender until you get a dough. Tranfer it onto a working surface, lightly dusted with flour, and knead with your hands until the dough does not stick on your hands. Wrap the dough with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the sponge cake
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Preheat oven at 170C (fan). Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
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Mix the eggs, sugar and salt in a bowl, using an electric whisk. You want to incorporate as much air as possible, so take your time here, and whisk for at least 5 minutes. Add the flours and continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes. Add the milk and melted butter and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Pour the batter on your baking tray, previously lined with baking parchment, and bake in the oven for approx. 20 minutes or until the sponge is cooked. Once cooked, remove from oven and set aside to cool down.
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Once cool enough, gently remove any dark areas on the surface of your sponge using a toothed knife. Dice the sponge into small cubes and set aside.
Bake the tart base
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By this time, the tart dough should be ready. Preheat oven at 180 C (fan). Coat your cake tin (23cm diameter) with butter and dust with flour.
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Remove the dough from the fridge and roll the dough into a circle (4-5mm high), wide enough to cover the cake pan. Transfer it into the tart tine and use your fingerprints to seal the dough on the sides and cut out any excess dough. Prick the bottom with a fork. Cover the dough with baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or real dry beans). Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and baking parchment and continue to bake for another 10 minutes. Once ready, remove from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the cake tin.
Make the custard cream
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While the tart is baking in the oven, prepare the custard cream. Pour the milk in a saucepan. Add the vanilla bean paste and the peel of half lemon. Place it on the hob and heat it (do not boil). In the meantime, mix the eggs, cornflour, and sugar in a bowl, using a whisk. When the milk is hot, remove the saucepan from the hob, remove the lemon peel, and slowly add the egg mixture. Combine well with a whisk. Place the saucepan back on the hob and bring to the boil. Whisk continuously until the sauce starts thickening. Add a few drops of food colour gel and combine well. Cover the saucepan with cling film (even if it is still hot) and set aside.
Assemble the tart
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Once the tart base and cream have cooled down, spread the cream into cooled crust (use as much as needed). Decorate using the sponge cubes and fresh fruit as shown in the picture or follow your creativity!
