The PARADISE CAKE is one of the softest sweets in Italian pastry. Typical of the Pavese area, it is made with very few ingredients: butter, eggs, flour, sugar, a little baking powder, and flavorings.
There are also some variations, much lighter than the traditional recipe; you can find some on my blog such as the classic paradise muffins and cocoa or the paradise cake without butter, tall and very soft.
The process is very simple, start by whipping the butter with the sugar, add the eggs and finally the flour; a method very similar to that of Sponge Cake even though the consistency is completely different.
Buuut… this method requires some practice so why not prepare the paradise cake with the method used by some English bakers? It’s fast, very easy, perfect for those who have never made a dessert and it always works.
I swear I was doubtful at first, I feared I was wasting time and ingredients but I was too curious. I took a large bowl and added the ingredients, one after the other, all at room temperature, then I turned on the electric whisk and whipped everything for 1 minute and magic happened, the mixture whipped perfectly, it was soft, fluffy, and stable; fantastic!
This technique is called “All-in-one” and to my great surprise, it works wonderfully. The first English baker from whom I learned the “All in one” method was Mary Berry, last winter I tried a couple of her recipes and they’re really great, I will prepare more soon. Anyone studying pastry knows it cannot be applied to all preparations but I will talk about it in another article.
I can only advise you to try it and let me know what you think, I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.
Try also:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 424.59 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 49.75 (g) of which sugars 29.92 (g)
- Proteins 5.05 (g)
- Fat 24.01 (g) of which saturated 15.12 (g)of which unsaturated 8.85 (g)
- Fibers 0.36 (g)
- Sodium 36.11 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup potato starch (or all-purpose flour)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 4 eggs (medium, mine weighed 220 g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated or other flavorings to taste)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp vanilla icing sugar
Tools
- 1 Bowl large
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Pan springform, 9 inches
Procedure
To prepare this recipe, all ingredients must be at room temperature.
Cut the butter into pieces, place it in a large bowl, and leave it at room temperature for 1 hour (in summer, 30 minutes are sufficient); it should be soft.
Break the eggs into a large bowl, add the sugar, flour, starch, baking powder, and soft butter. Mix everything with a fork and then whisk the mixture until you get a homogeneous mixture, about 1 minute.
Be careful not to over-whisk the mixture to avoid developing gluten; as soon as it is well mixed, stop.
The batter is ready.
Butter and flour the pan, pour the batter inside, and gently level it.
Bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 45/50 minutes. Use a toothpick to check the cooking. If necessary, cover the surface with a sheet of aluminum foil.
The all-in-one Paradise Cake is ready; remove it from the oven, wait ten minutes, and turn it over onto a plate. Let it cool completely and dust with powdered sugar.
Advice
Storage
The all-in-one Paradise Cake keeps at room temperature for 3/4 days well covered.
You can freeze it whole or in slices.
It is perfect as a base to fill.
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