Greek Spongecake With Rum (Pantespani Me Romion)

This will make one 8 by 12 inch cake OR one 10-inch cake. Rich sponge cake with 10 eggs and little flour with finely chopped almonds. A rum sugar syrup is poured on the hot cake. When cool it is frosted with whipped cream.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE

• 10  egg yolks
• 10  egg whites, whites stiffly beaten
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups  almonds, blanched, peeled, toasted and chopped (divided)
• 1⁄2 cup cake flour
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 3  tablespoons rum

• SUGAR SYRUP

• 2  cups sugar
• 1  cup water
• 1  tablespoon  strained fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon rum

• FROSTING

• 2  cups  heavy  whipped cream
• 1  teaspoon sugar
•  candied cherry

Directions

1. FOR THE CAKE: Beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale in color. Fold in 1 cup of the chopped almonds. Fold in the flour mixed with the baking powder, then stir in the rum. Carefully fold the stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter. Turn the batter into a buttered and floured pan, (one 8 by 12 inch cake pan OR one 10-inch cake pan) and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the cake comes out clean.
2. Remove the cake from the oven and prick the entire surface with a toothpick. Pour the hot syrup over the cake before the cake cools. When the cake has cooled, fold 1 teaspoon of sugar into the whipped cream and frost the cake lavishly with the sweetened cream. Cut the cake into squares and sprinkle with the remaining almonds. Decorate with the cherries.
3. FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP: Stir the sugar and water together in a deep, heavy saucepan set over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. During this period, use a dampened pastry brush to wipe down any stray sugar crystals that cling to the sides of the pan.
4. When the sugar has dissolved, bring the syrup to a boil. Take of the heat and add fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoons rum. This will make about 2 cups syrup.
5. St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church.
6. The Art Of Greek Cookery.