Let’s TORTA-BOUT

Rich, multi-layered and textured, these showstopping Italian desserts are perfect for big occasions

Originally from the Pavia, in Northern Italy, torta paradiso, or Italian paradise cake, is a light and airy cake with simple ingredients that combine to form a flavourful, finely textured crumb that almost melts in your mouth.

Prep time: 15-20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 8

180g extra fine 00 flour

95g corn flour

½ tsp SpinneysFOOD Fine Sea Salt

1½ tsp baking powder

120g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter, room temperature

200g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs, at room temperature

To serve

SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar, for dusting

Whipped cream, optional

Fresh seasonal fruit, optional

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper. 2 Sift together the flour, corn flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. 3 Cream the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 8 minutes until very light. Grate the lemon zest directly into the butter mixture and add the vanilla and eggs then mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. 4 Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined – be careful not to overmix.

5 Pour the batter into the springform tin and tap the tin firmly on the counter to break any large bubbles. 6 Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and springs back when gently pressed with a fingertip. Allow to cool in the tin before unmoulding. 7 Dust generously with icing sugar and serve.

Torta setteveli, which means seven-veil cake, is a seven-layer cake traditionally served at birthdays. This dessert is made up of a base of sponge cake, chocolate and hazelnut Bavarian cream layers and a crunchy praline base.

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 8

For the chocolate cake

3 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

100g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

75g 00 flour

25g cocoa powder

15g potato starch or corn flour

For the crunchy chocolate

60g dark chocolate

10g SpinneysFOOD Salted Butter

30g cornflakes

25g hazelnuts, skinned and toasted

For the chocolate mousse

250ml SpinneysFOOD Full Fat Milk

100g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

35g corn starch

2 large egg yolks

120g 70% dark chocolate

75g hazelnut paste

2 tsp gelatine powder

2 tbsp water

500ml single cream

For the sugar syrup

200g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

200ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

For the chocolate mirror glaze

250ml SpinneysFOOD Bottled Drinking Water

300g SpinneysFOOD Fine Grain White Sugar

185ml cream

90g cocoa powder

8 sheets gelatine

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm cake tin. 2 To make the chocolate cake, place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat for 20 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and starch together then fold into the egg mixture gently. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before unmoulding. Slice the sponge in half so you have two layers. 3 To make the crunchy chocolate base, roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Add the butter and melt together. Roughly crush the cornflakes and hazelnuts then stir in the crushed cornflakes and nuts. Press the mixture into the base of a greased 25cm cake tin. Refrigerate to set. 4 To make the mousse, heat the milk in a saucepan. Set aside. Whisk the sugar, corn starch and egg yolks together in a bowl then gradually pour in the hot milk. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking continuously, until thick and glossy. Divide between two bowls. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and stir it into one bowl and the hazelnut paste into the other. Sprinkle the gelatine over the water and allow to absorb. Microwave for 30 seconds until melted and then divide between the two bowls. Stir to combine. Allow to cool to room temperature. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Divide between the two bowls and gently fold in the cream.

5 To make the sugar syrup, place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. 6 To assemble the cake, cut out a 25cm circle of baking paper and line the base of a 25cm cake tin as well as the sides. Place the crunchy chocolate base into the base of the cake tin. Spread half the chocolate mousse on the base, then top with one layer of sponge cake. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the sugar syrup on top of the sponge then add the remaining mousse. Top with the second sponge cake layer and another 2-3 tablespoons of sugar syrup. Place in the freezer while you prepare the topping. 7 To make the mirror glaze, combine the 220ml of the water, sugar, fresh cream and cocoa powder in a saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer, for approx. 5 minutes, until the mixture slightly thickens. Soften the gelatine sheets in the remaining water and add to the hot glaze. Set over an ice bath and whisk until the glaze thickens and reaches 26˚C, approx. 1 minute. 8 Remove the cake from the freezer. Unmould the cake and remove the paper collar. Set it on a small cake tin on top of a baking tray. Pour the glaze over, all at once, so it runs down the sides. 9 Carefully place it on a serving plate and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prep time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8

For the pastry

200g SpinneysFOOD Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

110g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

1 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Egg

1 tbsp vanilla extract

350g 00 flour

2 tsp baking powder

For the filling

2 x 250g SpinneysFOOD Ricotta

3 large SpinneysFOOD Organic Free-Range Eggs

200g SpinneysFOOD Extra Fine Caster Sugar

250g SpinneysFOOD Mascarpone, at room temperature

½ tsp almond extract

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp SpinneysFOOD Super Fine Icing Sugar

To serve

100g Amarena cherries

Handful of SpinneysFOOD Edible Flowers

1 Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until creamy and pale, approx. 8 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Then add the flour and baking powder and mix to form a soft pastry dough. Form into 3 balls, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

2 Preheat the oven to 180°C, or gas mark 4. Grease a 22cm springform cake tin. 3 Roll a ball of pastry between 2 pieces of baking paper into a 4mm-thick circle. Repeat with another ball of pastry. Use the base of the cake tin to cut out discs to form the top and bottom of the cheesecake. Place one disc in the base of the greased cake tin and the second on a baking tray. Freeze for 5 minutes. Place the cake tin in the oven for 15 minutes until golden (reserve the second pastry disc for later). Allow to cool. 4 Roll out the remaining pastry ball to form a 4mm-thick rectangle. Cut strips wide enough to line the sides of the cake tin. Chill until needed. 5 To make the filling, place the ricotta, eggs, sugar, mascarpone, almond and vanilla extracts in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into the lined cake tin and top with the remaining pastry disc. Press the sides and top together to seal. 6 Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden, then turn off the oven and leave to cool with the oven door open for 1 hour. 7 Refrigerate for three hours to allow the filling to set. Thirty minutes before serving, take the torta out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.

8 Serve topped with amarena cherries and edible flowers.