For the Vanilla Sponge:

Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). In a large mixing bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, whole egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until it’s light and foamy. Slowly add in the butter, followed by the rum, while continuing to whisk. Then fold in the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until fully combined. Pour the batter into the cake ring, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until it turns a perfect golden brown. Use a cake tester to check if the baking is done. Once it’s cooled, use a knife to trim the top so we get a nice, neat 2-inch (5-cm) slab of cake.

For the Soaking Syrup:

In a saucepan, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk and milk and heat them to 158°F (70°C). Pour this over the cake to let it soak up the syrup.

For the Dulce de Leche:

Drop the whole tin of condensed milk into a saucepan full of water, and boil it for 3 hours straight. Then let it cool, open the tin, and you should find a beautiful, thick toffee inside. Spoon out 1⁄2 cup (150 g) of this dulce de leche for us to use in the next step.

For the Dulce de Leche Mousse:

In a small bowl, add the gelatin and water, letting the gelatin bloom for 5 minutes, until it swells. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, cook 3⁄8 cup (90 g) of cream, the dulce de leche, and the egg yolk, stirring continuously. Once it’s reached 180°F (82°C), turn off the heat, mix in the gelatin completely, and allow it to cool. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip 5⁄8 cup + 1 tablespoon (165 g) of cream and once the mousse reaches 86°F (30°C), fold it into the mousse to make it soft and delicate.

For the Candied Hazelnuts:

Line a tray with baking paper. In a saucepan, heat the granulated sugar and water until it reaches 244°F (118°C). Toss in the hazelnuts and stir continuously, allowing the sugar to crystallize and coat the nuts. Continue to cook over a low heat, and the rocky appearance of the sugar will slowly turn to an even caramel layer. Finally, add in the butter—this helps to keep the caramelized nuts separated. Lay them out on the prepared tray and allow it to cool.

For the assembly:

Line the inside of the cake ring with a 4-inch (10-cm) tall strip of acetate, then place the soaked cake inside to serve as the base. Pour that incredible dulce de leche mousse in, filling it up until it reaches 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) from the top of the acetate. Let’s leave this in the freezer for 3 hours to set. Finally, demold the cake and remove the acetate sheet, then refrigerate it for 2 hours to reach the perfect temperature. Slice this cake up and serve it cold. You can store it in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Reprinted with permission from New-School Sweets by Vinesh Johny and Andrés Lara, Page Street Publishing Co. 2021. Photo credit: Manek D’Silva