Juicy Post: Torta Setteveli – The Ne Plus Ultra Of Sicilian Cakes

How Could I Not Know About Torta Setteveli?

In Trapani, I  selected an unknown  dessert for my husband to try, which, in turn, became an epic quest.  I knew about Cassata Siciliana, Cannoli, but Torta Setteveli – never.  In 1997, a version of this sublime cake won the Gold Medal for Luigi Biasetto, Gianluca Mannori, and Cristian Beduschi at the Pastry World Cup in Lyon, France.   And it has always been a  sought-after Sicilian specialty for celebrations.  Meanwhile, back in the USA, Charlene and I have sacrificed our waistlines and those of several of our nearest and dearest so that Robert could have a whole slice and not share – and you can make this lush cake.  The Torta Setteveli is a five-hour project that is fun to do with a cooking bestie.  It also can be made a day ahead of serving and probably tastes even better.   We found the directions from A Food Lover’s Odyssy to be very helpful – but we felt that they needed some adjustment and streamlining. 

 You’ll Need A Torta Setteveli Road Map

We looked at several videos in Italian and English, and read through numerous recipes as well.  There are variations in how you put together the layers of the torta setteveli.  BUT the seven veils of flavors and textures are sacred.  You will have two layers of a chocolate genoise (or sponge) made in a 9-inch or 10-inch spring form pan.  You split these layers in two and paint each with a sugar syrup and then cover with food wrap to keep moist while you continue with the rest of the project.  One of the split genoise layers is the base, and you spread the chocolate hazelnut crunch layer on top.  You then spread a 1/2 inch layer of Hazelnut Bavarian Cream. The second genoise layer  is added with another layer of the Hazelnut Bavarian cream.  This is then topped with the chocolate mousse frosting – and we frosted the sides.  It makes a nicer finish for the chocolate glaze, which is Setteveli’s glorious crowning drizzle.

Many of the recipes we saw said to use cornflakes in the Chocolate Praline Crunch part, except for some professional Sicilian ones which stated passionately “No Cornflakes!”  You could use a wheat or rice flake cereal  (so far the only ones that seem decent are the organic ones, but I am not a cold cereal fan) or you can make your own “croquant,” which Charlene unearthed in a German cookbook. That is a major improvement over the dreaded cornflakes.  Once you see how easy it is, you’ll keep it on hand to sprinkle over other cakes, muffins and ice cream.  You’ll never look back at Cornflakes. 

The Game Plan of Part I

Two layers will be made from your chocolate genoise, two from the  Hazelnut Bavarian Cream, and one  will be the chocolate crunch and one the chocolate mousse (with the option of using it to frost the sides). The final layer for the Torta Setteveli will be the  chocolate glaze. We have included all the recipes below after you read through Game Plan I and II.

Make the chocolate mousse and refrigerate.

Make the Hazelnut Bavarian Cream and allow it to set up in the refrigerator.  You can refold it or mix it at low speed if it is too set when you are ready to spread the layers. 

Make the genoise and the syrup. Allow both to cool. Slice the top crust off the genoise. This allows for an even-sided base and an exposed top, which makes it preferable for imbibing the layers with your sugar syrup). Once you have thickly slathered your syrup onto the layers, cover them so they don’t dry out.

Make your croquant to use in the Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch.  If you are preparing it ahead, cover and refrigerate, but bring to room temperature (and spreading consistency) when you are ready to assemble the cake. 

You can make the chocolate glaze mixture without the gelatin at this point.  You will soften and add the gelatin before you create the glaze as the top layer. If your chocolate glaze mixture is too cool, simply reheat it a bit so that the softened gelatin sheets will dissolve into it.   

The Game Plan Part II

We recommend that you use a springform pan to assemble the cake.  It will help to keep the layers uniform and can be popped off right before you add the Chocolate Mousse layer to the top and side.  If this is used, you can easily assemble the cake directly on your cake plate. If  you are using a cake pan with a removable bottom, that base or a cake board  will become the surface the cake is built on.  You will put the first layer inside the cake pan and start building!  

You should already have the first layer of Chocolae Genoise (imbibed with the sugar syrup) on your cake plate inside your cake ring or springform  mold.  Then spread the Chocolate Hazelnut  Crunch on the base genoise layer inside the form.  Freeze for a few minutes so that the crunch layer is not “tacky”or soft.  

Now spread about one half of the Hazelnut Bavarian Cream on top of the Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch layer. It should take about 2 cups of the Bavarian Cream, and you should spread it right to the edge of the cake.  Return the cake to the freezer for  30 minutes.  You want the cake to be  set enough so that you can add the second genoise layer without smooshing the Bavarian Cream down the sides of the cake.  For future reference, “smooshing” is our technical baking term. 

Now you are ready to add the second Genoise layer, then another two cups of the Bavarian Cream, spreading it evenly to the edge of the cake as before.  Return the cake to the freezer for about 30 minutes. You want the cake to set enough so that you can remove it from the form and spread the top and sides with the chocolate mousse without disturbing the Hazelnut Bavarian Cream. It sounds scary, but it’s not. Trust us!   Once you have removed the cake ring (or springform mold) from the cake, cover the top and sides with the Chocolate Mousse.  Return your cake to the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.  The Chocolate Mousse layer should be firm but not frozen. 

Now is the time to pour on the Chocolate Glaze.  If you have been assembling your Torta Setteveli on a cake round, you can set it on a cooling rack that has been placed in a sheet pan to catch the glaze that drips off the cake.  If you have assembled your cake directly on a cake plate, you’ll probably want to clean up the edge of the cake plate with a damp cloth (or not).    Start from the middle and work outward, allowing the glaze to fall over the sides in random drips.  The gelatin in the glaze will set fairly quickly.  When you are happy with the set of the glaze, return it to the refrigerator and allow the cake to chill for at least an hour. 

 This is the time to use your best quality ingredients.  We recommend Valrhona, Cluizel or Cocoa Barry Cocoa Powder,  For your chocolate, any of the mid-range bittersweets from Valrhona, Cluizel, Amedei or Slitti are excellent. Piedmont Hazelnuts are preferable in flavor to the domestic ones and we used India Tree Caster Sugar .  A varied selection of these chocolates is available in some stores across the US.  Contact them for store or online purchasing. 

One more food note.  We bake using a scale.  Weights are so much more accurate than the US cup measures. We have tried to give approximate cup measures according to the information available on Google.  But this would be a good time for you to invest in a scale. Digital is better than analog. And you can always do a random check with a set weight  similar to what we advised in our much-read Thermapen post.

The Torta Setteveli, can be done a day ahead should you want to share it with some lucky friends for the coup de grâce at your dinner party.   Speaking from experience,  it will be difficult not to eat it for breakfast.