Text by Adriana Sohodoleanu, Ph.D. Post doctoral researcher, Food Studies, author of What’s New in the New Romanian Cuisine?, co-author Sweet Romania, a history about our desserts (with Cosmin Dragomir)
During my childhood, amandina failed to win my favor; it appeared to be a dense, overly sweet cake, where the syrup threatened to overflow at any moment, possessing an unappealing, sticky, and aesthetically ambiguous quality. Only the crackling glaze briefly captured my attention as it yielded to the force of a spoon’s attack.
Decades later, upon revisiting the recipe, it was the glaze that once again intrigued me, owing to its high sugar content. Yet, despite its initial shortcomings, amandina holds a special place in my heart, and I often recommend it to others. Perhaps it’s because, unlike many other desserts, its origins remain somewhat obscure (the oldest recipe I could trace dates back to the 1963 Communist cookbook issued by the Ministry of Domestic Commerce). It embodies a syrupy sweetness with a subtle hint of rum, evoking a distinctly Romanian flavor.
The recipe provided below follows the Communist-era version, although in modern times variations abound, with some featuring indulgent fillings like chocolate ganache and Stroh syrup. Try both and taste the passing of time and fashions.
Caramel sponge cake
80g sugar and 30ml water
4 eggs
50g sugar
20ml oil
150g flour
Salt
Make a dark-colored syrup from 80g sugar and 30ml water. Keep a spoonful of the mixture for glaze.
Beat the egg whites until frothy with 20g sugar and separately beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until they turn pale and increase in volume; add a pinch of salt. Add the oil and burnt sugar syrup into the yolks, then carefully add the egg whites and fold in the flour; avoid overmixing. Spread the mixture onto a baking sheet in a layer about 1cm thick. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 12-15 minutes.
Filling
300g softened butter
200g vanilla sherbet
40g cocoa
Rum essence
Whip the butter, add the sherbet and cocoa, and beat until incorporated. Add rum to taste. You can set aside a little cream for decoration.
Syrup
150ml water
100g sugar
Rum
Optional: lemon zest, vanilla
Boil the water with sugar until it reaches a syrupy consistency, then remove from heat and infuse with the flavors. Strain before using it to soak the sponge cake.
Assembly
Cut the sponge cake into 3 equal strips lengthwise. Soak the obtained sheets and fill with the cream (optional set aside two tablespoons of cream). Chill for 1-2 hours, shape the edges, and cut into squares. Glaze each piece individually with a glaze made from:
200g vanilla sherbet
Reserved burnt sugar syrup
40g cocoa
Melt the sherbet over a double boiler and add the other ingredients, mixing well. Keep the mixture over the double boiler until use to keep the glaze liquid.
Use a two-pronged fork to glaze each pastry. Decorate with a little cream, if reserved.
