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Torta Paradiso (Traditional Italian Paradise Cake)

Sliced Torta Paradiso on a black plate.
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4.7 from 3 reviews

Torta Paradiso is a traditional Italian Paradise cake from Pavia, also called Heaven cake. Made with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and potato starch and scented with lemon and vanilla, it has a soft, fluffy crumb and bakes in about 45 minutes.

Ingredients

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  • 5.3 oz. (150 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 lemon, zest
  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • 3 large eggs (150 g), room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoon (75 g) 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons (75 g) potato starch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (for decoration)

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Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Butter and flour an 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment paper round. Beat the eggs (at room temperature) lightly with a fork and set aside. Using a flour sifter, sift flour, salt, and baking powder (if used) twice into a medium bowl.
  2. To make the cake batter, place the softened butter, sugar, lemon zest, and scraped seeds of the vanilla pod in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Using an electric or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip it for about 15 minutes until the mixture reaches a white, velvety consistency.
  3. Reduce the speed to low and continue whisking. Add the egg mixture one tablespoon at a time, incorporating each spoonful until it's fully incorporated. Continue this way until the eggs are used up. Remove the mixer bowl and add the sifted flour mixture a little at a time (1 tablespoon), incorporating it with large movements using a rubber spatula. Wait for the flour to be absorbed entirely; then add the next spoonful. Continue until the dry ingredients are mixed into a creamy mixture.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth it with a rubber spatula. Bake it in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Check the cake's doneness with a toothpick: it must come out dry.
  5. Remove the cake from the oven and, while it is hot, invert it on a flat serving platter lined with parchment. Let it rest for about 15 minutes, no longer, to prevent condensation on the paper. Then, using a plate or a cutting board, turn it over again. This little trick helps obtain a perfectly flat top. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack (it may take up to an hour). Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Notes

  1. Use ingredients at room temperature.
  2. Don't decrease the time necessary to whip the batter at each step.
  3. Add the egg and flour mixtures one spoonful at a time.
  4. Bake the cake in a static oven and don’t open the oven door during the first 30 minutes.
  5. Baking time can vary, so test the cake with a toothpick or cake tester.
  6. Keep the flat bottom of the cake as the top if desired.

Nutrition

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