Romanian-style Fontoș Cake

Ingredients

In this Romanian-style adaptation of Fontoš cake, we incorporate traditional Romanian ingredients and flavors to give it a unique twist. The addition of walnuts and rum adds a delightful nutty and boozy flavor to the cake, enhancing its richness and complexity. The Romanian-style Fontoș cake also features a smooth chocolate ganache topping, which adds a luxurious touch to the dessert. We alse have the original recipe for Fontoš kolač, so you can check it out.

• For the sponge cake: For the sponge cake:
• 6 eggs 6 eggs
• 150g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour 150g (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt Pinch of salt
• For the vanilla cream filling: For the vanilla cream filling:
• 500ml (2 cups) milk 500ml (2 cups) milk
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar 150g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened 100g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• For the chocolate ganache: For the chocolate ganache:
• 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate, chopped 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
• 200ml (3/4 cup) heavy cream 200ml (3/4 cup) heavy cream
• For the decoration: For the decoration:
• 100g (1 cup) walnuts, crushed 100g (1 cup) walnuts, crushed
• 2 tablespoons rum 2 tablespoons rum

Nutrition

• Calories (kcal / KJ): 450 kcal / 1880 KJ
• Fat (total, saturated): 25g, 12g
• Carbohydrates (total, sugars): 50g, 35g
• Protein: 8g
• Fiber: 2g
• Salt: 0.2g

Preparation

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour a round cake pan.
2. 2.
   In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
3. 3.
   Gradually add the flour and salt to the egg mixture, folding gently until well combined.
4. 4.
   Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
5. 5.
   Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. 6.
   Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely.
7. 7.
   In the meantime, prepare the vanilla cream filling. In a saucepan, whisk together the milk, flour, sugar, and vanilla extract over medium heat until thickened.
8. 8.
   Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
9. 9.
   In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the cooled milk mixture to the butter, beating until smooth and well combined.
10. 10.
    Once the cake has cooled, slice it horizontally into two equal layers.
11. 11.
    Place one layer of the cake on a serving plate and brush it with rum.
12. 12.
    Spread a generous amount of the vanilla cream filling over the first layer.
13. 13.
    Place the second layer of the cake on top and press gently.
14. 14.
    Prepare the chocolate ganache by heating the heavy cream in a saucepan until it starts to simmer.
15. 15.
    Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the chopped dark chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the ganache is smooth.
16. 16.
    Pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
17. 17.
    Sprinkle the crushed walnuts over the ganache, pressing gently to adhere.
18. 18.
    Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld together.
19. 19.
    Serve chilled and enjoy!

Treat your ingredients with care...

• Walnuts — Make sure to crush the walnuts into small pieces for the decoration, as larger pieces may make it difficult to slice the cake neatly.

Tips & Tricks

• For a non-alcoholic version, you can substitute rum with rum extract or omit it altogether.
• To enhance the nutty flavor, lightly toast the walnuts before crushing them for the decoration.
• Make sure the cake is completely cooled before slicing and assembling to prevent the cream filling from melting.

Serving advice

Serve the Romanian-style Fontoș cake chilled for the best taste and texture. It pairs well with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Presentation advice

To make the cake even more visually appealing, you can pipe some whipped cream rosettes around the edges and sprinkle a dusting of cocoa powder over the top.