Valentine's Day Soft Cake with Lemon Yogurt and "Il Salto" EVO Oil Tenuta Giannone

Valentine's Day Soft Cake is the right dessert to end a romantic dinner on the day dedicated to celebrating all lovers. It is a dessert with a versatile composition because the base can be enjoyed as it is, simply with a little sugar, or filled in different ways, from simple jam to the mousses and jelly of this recipe. We propose it for the Valentine's Day, established in the 5th century AD. by Pope Gelasius to replace pagan rites dedicated to love such as the "Lupercalia" which celebrated fertility and the Faun god Lupercus, protector of the flocks. Valentine's Day is celebrated all over the world, except in Russia and Arab countries where it is even forbidden, with the same characteristics and methods and the dessert in our recipe is the right conclusion to a romantic dinner typical of this day

The feast of Valentine's Day has a very long tradition, born with the decision of Pope Gelasius in the 5th century AD. to establish it on February 14th, the day of Valentine's martyrdom, later sanctified. Saint Valentine was bishop and later patron saint of the city of Terni because he dedicated his life to countering the persecution of Christians in this city and since stories and tales have been handed down that speak of his actions as a witness of love, the habit of going to Terni on February 14th, the day of his death.

Evidence of the tradition of Valentine's Day is present all over the world, such as "valentines", notes that lovers exchange, and it is said that Charles of Orléans sent one to his wife when he was a prisoner in the Tower of London. Sweets make up the lion's share of exchanges, especially in Great Britain, while in Wales wooden spoons are donated; instead, in Germany and Austria chocolate pigs are given as gifts. In Holland the dessert is a cake with a liquorice base, while in Denmark on this day girlfriends propose marriage to their lovers. In Romania the holiday is moved to February 24th in the name of "Dragomete" which represents the end of winter and the arrival of spring. In the United States the celebration is extended to those who "love each other", it extends to all those who have reciprocated affection and children usually give gifts and cards to friends, parents and grandparents. In China the "night of seven" holiday is the equivalent of Valentine's Day, but it is celebrated in August and women give chocolates made by their own hands to their men. In Taiwan there is a singular custom for those who want to get married: they must give 108 red roses when they declare themselves; for a lasting love the roses become 99 and 13 if it is a crazy love, or 20 for an eternal love and only one for the first love. This is why during Valentine's Day flowers become a symbol and are present everywhere in the city. In Brazil, June 12th is celebrated with dancing and music in the streets, while singles rely on magic to find a partner.

In Italy, it is known that chocolate is the most exchanged gift together with flowers and the inevitable gift delivered in a candlelit dinner with excellent food and a good bottle of bubbles. In short, people celebrate it all over the world with different customs and we suggest this dessert to end a romantic dinner. The cake has a classic base with a traditional recipe, but made with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter among the ingredients, which, in addition to making our dessert light and soft, improves it for its nutritional contribution. This makes it an ideal cake to be filled with cream or icing sugar and eaten for breakfast.

The choice of extra virgin olive oil is essential to avoid alterations in taste and therefore the preference fell on the "Il Salto" extra virgin olive oil from Tenuta Giannone which uses olives produced from its own olive grove.

It is an EVO oil that you can find on sale on olioevo.eu, the specialized marketplace dedicated to extra virgin olive oil produced entirely in Italy, a large online showcase aimed at those looking for the highest quality oils, authentic treasures of Italian gastronomy , where quality is a priority. A virtual space, emblem of Italian tradition, where small and large producers have the opportunity to present their best oils to the vast public, the result of great work characterized by professionalism, love and passion. An important mission for this company is to promote, distribute and market 100% extra virgin olive oils from organic farming that is attentive, respectful and scrupulous of the environment.

“Il Salto” EVO oil originates in South-Eastern Sicily, precisely in a hilly area of ​​the Iblei Mountains, located at approximately 600 meters above sea level. It is a blend obtained from the skilful and harmonious mixing of predominantly native cultivars, among which the Tonda Iblea, the Verdese, the Nocellara and the Biancolilla stand out, with the addition of a small percentage of Coratina.

The drupes, harvested manually, are cold pressed in the oil mill within 6-12 hours. The process continues with filtering and single-varietal storage in steel silos in a nitrogen atmosphere, keeping the temperature low and avoiding any oxidation process. Finally, we proceed with careful tastings and in-depth chemical analyzes to produce an excellent product.

The “Il Salto” Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Tenuta Giannone presents itself as an extraordinarily harmonious product, characterized by very low acidity and superior organoleptic qualities. The color is intense golden yellow with delicate shades of green; on the nose, the oil is broad and enveloping, with rich fruity hints of green tomato, accompanied by notes of fresh aromatic herbs, such as basil and parsley. The taste experience is fine and full of character, with undertones of celery and lettuce. The bitterness and spiciness, of medium intensity, complete the complexity of this extraordinary extra virgin olive oil. An oil with a high content of polyphenols and vitamin E, whose prestige has been recognized by the many awards obtained in various national and international competitions, including Gambero Rosso, Slow Food, Flos Olei, New York International Olive Oil Competition.

But here is the recipe for our beautiful cake:

Soft Valentine's Day Cake with yogurt and “Il Salto” Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Tenuta Giannone, with Lemon Yogurt Mousse and Wild Berry Jelly Insert:

Ingredients:

4 eggs at room temperature

a jar of natural yogurt

a jar of Il Salto Tenuta Giannone Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 jars of granulated sugar

3 and a half jars of 00 white flour

a pinch of salt

a vial of orange aroma

a sachet of baking powder

For the lemon yogurt mousse:

200 grams of cream for desserts

600 grams of lemon yogurt

150 grams of ricotta

140 grams of icing sugar

6 gelatin sheets

 For the Geleè with berries:

400 grams of blueberries

50 grams of granulated sugar

4 grams of isinglass

To garnish:

fresh fruit to taste

Heart cookies

Method:

We put the 4 eggs in the planetary mixer and start whipping them with 3 jars of granulated sugar, work for a long time until our mixture becomes frothy.

We combine the natural yogurt, the oil and the vial of orange flavouring. Add the 3 and a half jars of 00 white flour, the pinch of salt and the sachet of baking powder. We pour our mixture into a previously buttered and floured cake tin; then, we bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes.

We prepare the jelly by blending the 200 grams of berries with 50 grams of granulated sugar. Bring to the heat until it starts to boil. We turn off the heat, add the gelatine previously softened in water and well squeezed and mix carefully.

For the mousse, place the 6 gelatin sheets in cold water to soften them. Put the lemon yogurt with 140 grams of icing sugar in the planetary mixer and start mixing it until you obtain a cream.

In a saucepan, put 4 tablespoons of cream taken from the total and bring to the heat. Once hot, turn off the heat and add the softened and well-squeezed gelatine. Whip the remaining cream and gently incorporate it into the yogurt, also adding the gelatine.

We cut the cake into several layers and fill the cake with mousse. We place the jelly disc as a base, add the mousse, and finish with another layer of cake base. Reassemble the dessert and place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

After the indicated time we decorate as desired. Our Valentine's Day Soft Cake with yogurt and Extra Virgin Olive Oil “Il Salto” from Tenuta Giannone, on sale on OlioEvo.eu, with Lemon Yogurt Mousse and Wild Berry Jelly Insert, is ready to be served.