I’m no rookie when it comes to complex cakes, and this was by no means my first genovese. But the ingredient ratio/composition for this is absolutely worthless! I too ended up making 3 batches, only to end up with one semi-usable, 1″ layer. It was clear also that putting the bowl over a pot of boiling water to heat the eggs enough to expand was completely useless. I was only successful in getting the eggs to expand when I reverted to my previous approach of whipping them up inside a large stainless steel bowl that I set directly over a low open flame on my gas stovetop.

The custard looked perfect when I took it off the stove, but by the time it’d chilled in the fridge for an hour, it had the consistency of a fried egg, and crumbled into little pieces when I tried to whip it back together.

The marzipan icing ingredients also seemed to be off, either in ratio or composition. I ended up with a sticky, soupy mess that (literally) smoked the motor on my Waring Industrial food processor. Which has lived through many years of very heavy, high-volume use. Even after overnight refrigeration in the coldest part of my fridge, the marzipan still flows like molasses.

The only part that worked? The whipped cream. And only because I followed my instincts and put a small amount of solubilized unflavored gelatin in to give it stiffness so that it could stand up as frosting without squishing out under the layers. Except….. since I only have one layer, there won’t be any squishing or any layers. It’s destined to sit in my fridge and go to waste, along with more than $40 worth of other ingredients that I’m too tired after cooking all night (started this process after work last night, took the 3rd cake out of the oven at 6:10 AM).

Frida, I wish I’d tried your recipe instead. Once I get up the courage (and the $$$ to buy all the ingredients again), I will do so. Jag har letat efter ett aektigt svensk princesstarta recept paa maanga aar utan att lycka hitta nagot, och tar emot vilket raad du vaagar offra! Det haer aer tyvaerr inte min foersta negativ upplevelse med daaliga amerikanska recepter.

Folks, do *not* try this at home. And Pete? I’d say that girlfriend is a keeper if she stuck with you through this!

The original princess cake does not have jam in it, with jam and pink marzipan it is an opera cake but some how the jam got in to the green princess cake too so now it’s only the color that’s the differece between them in most pastry shops.

This is how I’ve learned to make a princess cake in school (I’m studuing to become a pastry chef) and what I think is the most popular/classic one.

cake:
5 eggs
3dl sugar
1,5dl flour
1,5dl potato starch
3tsp baking powder
3tsp vanilla sugar

Line a greased cake pan (23cm diameter) with a circle of parchment paper at the bottom and a strip along the inside, the strip should be about 5cm higher than the pan itself (prevents the batter to rise over the top).
Heat the oven to 175c (350F).
Whip the eggs and sugar until really thick and fluffy, this takes at least 15min with an electric beater.
Sift the rest of the ingredients and carefully blend it with the whipped eggs using a spatula or a whisk (do not whip it in, fold it).
Pour the patter in to the cake pan, dont fill it with more than 3/4 and bake for about 40 minutes at the lower rack.
When the cake does not wobble when the pan is given a gentle shake the cake is done.
Let it cool for about 5min, remove the parchment paper from the sides and carefully turn the cake upside down om a baking sheet. Let it cool and then divide it in three layers.

Custard:

600g milk
75g sugar
1 vanilla pod, pod and seeds

150g milk
180g egg yolk (about 9)
110g sugar
60g corn starch

40g butter, room temp

Combine the first three ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Blend the sugar and corn starch and stir in the yolk and milk. Pour in to the sauce pan while stirring.
Put the pan back on the hotplate and stir constantly until it thickens.
Strain it to remove the pod and small parts of it. And stir in the butter.
Cool it as quick as possible by putting the bowl in another bowl of icy water or putting it in the refrigerator.

When the custard is completely cooled:

Take the bottom part of the cake and turn it with the brown side up and spread raspberry jam (preferably seedless) on it. Take the upper part of the cake and lay it on top of the jam with the brown side down. Spread a layer of custard on it, place the last cake layer on top.
Whip about 3-4dl of whipping cream until it holds its shape. Spread a thin layer around the cake and make a dome on top of it.
Cover the cake with green marzipan (dye white marzipan green with a few drops of food colouring if you can’t find green), dust it with icing sugar and decorate with a pink marzipan rose.

Why the turning of the cake layers? If you put the brown parts against the dark jam you won’t notice it as much when you cut the cake so it makes prettier slices. It’s purely for the eye.