Father's Day Cake

Name: Father's Day Cake
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 110 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Sugar 1 &frac18; cup; Eggs 4; Egg yolks 4; Type 00 flour ¾ cup; Potato starch 0.7 cup; Unsweetened cocoa powder 5 &frac13; tbsp; Fine salt 1 pinch; Fresh liquid cream 2 cups; Mascarpone cheese 2 ½ cups; Powdered sugar 1 cup; Instant coffee 4 tsp; Water 1 tbsp; Water 1.1 cups; Sugar ½ cup; Rum ¾ tbsp; Unsweetened cocoa powder to taste; Chocolate sprinkles to taste; Dark chocolate coffee bean-shaped to taste

it br es fr de

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 50 min
Serving: 8
Cost: Average
Note + resting time in the fridge (about 3 h)

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Lucake

La torta festa del papà is the perfect Father’s Day cake to celebrate with a real Italian flair. Really, it's amazing. It is got these soft layers of moist cocoa sponge soaked in a super aromatic rum syrup, so every bite is a mix of tender and slightly sweet goodness. Plus, the coffee cream? It's light and smooth, totally complementing the deep cocoa notes. In Italy, March 19th is when dads get celebrated with treats like this, and the Father’s Day cake recipe really really stands out for its elegant look. Often finished with a special stencil—makes it look like a pastry shop masterpiece—it's a top choice for showing appreciation, no question.

This cake isn’t just tasty; it’s a heartfelt gesture packed with meaning for Italian families, adding warmth and joy to the day—seriously good stuff. Unlike a vanilla cake or the usual red velvet, this one has a distinct vibe because of the coffee cream and rum combo. Different regions? Oh yeah, they might add their own spin, like more coffee or a stronger rum syrup. Each version tells its own story, pretty much.

For anyone hunting for Father’s Day cake ideas that really show effort and love, this recipe’s a winner. Assembling the soft, golden layers and adding those beautiful Father’s Day cake decorations feels like a true gift—definitely not just a dessert. And picture the whole family gathered around, slicing into the cake, sharing stories. And the tangy coffee cream and fluffy cake really enhance the moment. I mean, it's no surprise that la torta festa del papà remains a favorite among Father’s Day baking traditions. It offers a taste of Italian festivity and a lot of heart in every bite. Whether you’re enjoying it with family or gifting it to someone special, this cake brings a really good piece of Italy right to your table—can’t go wrong.

INGREDIENTS

for the sponge cake (for a 10-inch diameter pan): Sugar 1 ⅛ cup (225 g); Eggs 4; Egg yolks 4; Type 00 flour ¾ cup (90 g); Potato starch 0.7 cup (90 g); Unsweetened cocoa powder 5 ⅓ tbsp (40 g); Fine salt 1 pinch

for the cream: Fresh liquid cream 2 cups (500 g); Mascarpone cheese 2 ½ cups (600 g); Powdered sugar 1 cup (160 g); Instant coffee 4 tsp (20 g); Water 1 tbsp (12 g)

for the syrup: Water 1.1 cups (250 g); Sugar ½ cup (100 g); Rum ¾ tbsp (10 g)

for decoration: Unsweetened cocoa powder to taste; Chocolate sprinkles to taste; Dark chocolate to taste - coffee bean-shaped

To prepare the sponge cake

To prepare the Father's Day cake, start with the sponge cake: pour the eggs, yolks 1, sugar 2, and a pinch of salt 3 into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisks.

Whip the mixture for about 10 minutes at maximum speed 4 until it becomes very frothy. Meanwhile, sift the flour, starch 5, and cocoa 6 into a bowl.

Sift the powders a second time 7, as this will help achieve a very soft sponge cake. Once the sugar and egg mixture is well whipped 8, gently fold in the powders with a spatula, little by little 9, mixing from bottom to top.

The batter is ready 10, so pour it into a greased and floured 10-inch diameter pan 11. Level the surface with the back of a spoon and bake the sponge cake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Before removing from the oven, check for doneness with a toothpick. Let it cool completely in the pan 12.

To prepare the syrup

Focus on preparing the syrup: pour the water 13 and sugar 14 into a saucepan, then heat over moderate heat 15.

As soon as the mixture reaches a boil 16, remove it from the stove. Allow the mixture to cool, then add the rum 17, stir with a whisk, and set aside 18.

To prepare the cream

Prepare the cream: in a saucepan, pour water and instant coffee 19, heat the mixture on the stove, and stir until the coffee is completely dissolved without lumps 20. In a bowl, combine the mascarpone and powdered sugar 21.

Add the coffee 22 and whip the cream with electric beaters 23 to combine 34.

Finally, incorporate the liquid cream 25 and whip 26 until you achieve a dense and compact consistency, yet smooth and creamy 27.

To fill and decorate

When the sponge cake is cool, remove the top crust with a serrated knife 28. Make a horizontal cut in the center of the sponge cake 29 to create two equal halves ready to be filled 30.

Place the first sponge cake disc on the serving plate and lightly soak it with the rum syrup using a brush 31. Transfer the cream to a piping bag 32 and distribute it over the first sponge cake disc 33.

Level the cream with a spatula 34 to achieve a smooth surface 35. With the brush, moisten the inner part of the second sponge cake disc 36.

Place the second disc on top of the cream 37 and brush the opposite side with syrup as well 38. Use the piping bag to pipe dollops of cream along the edge 39 40.

Spread more cream over the top 41, then smooth the entire cake with a spatula 42.

You need to achieve a perfectly smooth surface 43. Adhere cocoa sprinkles to the edge of the cake. Leave the cake in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that the cream on the surface hardens, but the center of the cake does not start to freeze. After the rest in the freezer, place the stencil on the surface of the cake 44 and dust with cocoa using a sifter 45. Carefully remove the stencil, making sure not to drop cocoa onto the cake. Clean the edge of the plate of any cocoa residue with a paper towel.

Transfer the remaining coffee cream to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe rosettes all along the edge 46. Place a chocolate coffee bean on top of each cream tuft 47. Let the Father's Day cake rest in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before serving 48.

Storage

The Father's Day cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

You can prepare the sponge cake in advance and store it under a glass dome for 3-4 days.

Advice

You can also make this cake with classic sponge cake, just replace the cocoa with the same amount of starch.

For an alcohol-free version, you can eliminate the liquor and infuse aromas like cinnamon sticks, vanilla, or citrus peels when bringing the mixture to a boil.

If you wish, you can add some chopped chocolate shavings with a knife on top of the cream layer inside.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.