This Italian ice cream cake has been largely forgotten in Italy, although it still flourishes in Puglia. It can be made in a countless number of manners; this is our own take on it with involves an ice cream dome stuffed with espresso-soaked spongecake and chopped almonds.
Feel free to get creative with how you assemble your spumone. You can make a variety of shapes in whatever dish you prefer. Use your favorite gelato or ice cream flavors!
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make this recipe here:
For this recipe, you will need:
3 large eggs (room temperature)
2/3 cup (75g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 cup (90g) sugar
A pat of butter for greasing
A stand or hand mixer
A fine mesh sifter
A small (7-8 inch) springform mold
Plenty of gelato or ice cream! The amount needed will depend on the size of the dish you use. Keep it quite cold before assembling, it will be easier to work with.
Cold espresso or moka coffee (1-2 cups)
Chopped almonds to taste
Combine the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl if using a hand mixer. Beat for 20 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 355 degrees F (180 C).
When the eggs are done whipping, sift in a little bit of the flour at a time and gently fold it in with a spatula. Repeat until all of the flour is incorporated. Grease the inside of a small springform mold with butter and dust it with flour, tapping the excess out. Pour the batter in.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden on top and slightly shrunk in from the sides of the mold. Let cool completely before opening the mold.
Slice the sponge cake into 3 disc-shaped slices. Cut these into large chunks as needed while assembling your cake.
Time to assemble! It's important to work quickly to prevent melting. Line the dish you wish to fill (we used a 7-inch glass bowl, a rectangular or square shape will also work) with plastic wrap. Cover this with a layer of gelato. The layer should be about 1 inch thick and extend up the sides of the dish to the rim.
Next spread a layer of sponge cake chunks in the bottom. Drizzle these with a few spoonfuls of cold coffee and a sprinkle of chopped almonds. Next cover this with more gelato.
Repeat these layers until you have filled up the dish! We recommend finishing with a final layer of solidly-press spongecake to add some stability.
Cover the bottom with more plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2-3 hours. To serve, remove the bottom plastic, carefully flip onto a serving platter, and remove the top dish by pulling the plastic lining down. Toss the plastic, slice and serve! Buon appetito!