Diplomat cake (without egg whites)

Every time I make diplomat cake without egg whites, I turn to this version because it is balanced and has no complicated steps. I've gone through a few experiments - once the cream leaked through the mold, another time I added too much fruit and the cream sank. The last time it turned out just right: firm, with straight ladyfingers and a light cream, with no trace of raw egg whites. I always use tropical fruits because they slice cleanly and don't leave much juice.

Quick Info

Total time: about 6 hours (includes cooling and setting in the fridge)
Actual working time: 40-50 minutes
Servings: 10-12
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: festive cake, suitable for birthdays or special meals

Ingredients

300 g ladyfingers (about 40 pieces, depending on size and shape)
6 egg yolks
250 g granulated sugar
500 ml whipped cream (for whipping)
100 ml milk
1 can of pineapple rings (for decoration and base)
1 can of pineapple chunks (approx. 350 ml, for the interior)
2 ripe kiwis
2 mandarins (from compote or fresh, optional)
1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
25 g gelatin granules

Preparation

1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. The egg whites are not used in this recipe; I set them aside and can freeze them for another use.

2. Place the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl, add the sugar, and beat with a mixer until lightened in color and significantly increased in volume. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Pour the 100 ml of milk over the mixture, plus the seeds from the vanilla pod (or add the essence at the end).

3. Move the bowl over a pot of boiling water (double boiler). Stir constantly with a whisk or mixer until the sugar is completely dissolved and you get a thick, smooth cream. Do not let the bowl touch the water. About 5 minutes on low heat is sufficient. Remove the cream from the heat and let it cool completely at room temperature.

4. While the cream cools, hydrate the gelatin: place the 25 g of gelatin in a small bowl and pour 60 ml of pineapple juice over it (enough to cover it). Let the gelatin sit for 10 minutes to swell.

5. After the gelatin has hydrated, dissolve it in the microwave (20-30 seconds) or over a double boiler. Stir until there are no visible granules. Incorporate the liquid gelatin into the cooled egg yolk cream, mixing quickly.

6. Whip the cream until it becomes firm (not soft, but not overwhipped to the point of curdling). I usually use plant-based cream for stability, but natural cream works too. Gradually fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk cream with gelatin, using a spatula or whisk with wide movements, so the mixture doesn’t deflate.

7. Prepare the mold: use a springform pan (24 cm diameter). Line the inside with plastic wrap, letting the edges of the wrap extend over the top of the pan. This way, you can easily remove the cake at the end.

8. Cut the ladyfingers to the height of the mold. Place them vertically around the entire edge of the mold. At the bottom, arrange pineapple rings as evenly as possible, as this part will become the top when you invert the cake.

9. Add a layer of cream over the pineapple rings (about half of the mixture). Sprinkle half of the chopped fruits (pineapple chunks, kiwi, mandarins), then gently press the fruits with a teaspoon to sink slightly into the cream.

10. Pour the remaining cream and likewise add the rest of the fruits, gently incorporating them.

11. On top of the cream, place the remaining ladyfingers (this time, you can lightly soak them in pineapple juice so they are not dry). This will become the base after you invert the cake.

12. Cover everything with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight. The cream needs to be fully set.

13. For serving: run a knife around the edge of the mold, invert the cake onto a platter, remove the ring and plastic wrap. Decorate with fresh fruits or slices of pineapple, and optionally whipped cream, if desired.

Why I make this recipe often

For me, it’s a cake recipe that doesn’t require too much effort and consistently turns out well, as long as I don’t overdo it with the fruits or liquid. It slices cleanly, is refreshing, and doesn’t need baking. The cream isn’t heavy, and the egg white-free version is more to my taste.

Tips and variations

Tips

Do not use a springform pan without a bottom – the cream may leak, especially before it sets.
Do not cut the ladyfingers randomly. They need to be equal to the mold, otherwise, you can’t invert the cake.
Do not overload the cake with too much fruit. If you add too much, it will release juice and the cream may become too soft.
If you use whipped cream for decoration, mix it with a stabilizer or a little dissolved gelatin so it doesn’t deflate.
Use ripe fruits without excess juice. Overripe kiwi doesn’t slice well, and berries don’t pair well with this type of cream.

Substitutions

You can replace tropical fruits with well-drained peaches from compote, fresh oranges, or mandarins.
If you don’t have a vanilla pod, use vanilla essence, but add it at the end, to the cooled cream.
The canned pineapple rings and chunks can only be replaced with equally juicy and sweet fruits.

Variations

There are variations with mascarpone or with vanilla cream with starch, but here I strictly use the egg yolk cream with whipped cream and gelatin.
If you want less cream, you can reduce the whipped cream to 400 ml, but the texture will be a bit denser.
If you don’t want to invert the cake, you can assemble it with decorative fruits on top, directly in the mold.

Serving ideas

It’s suitable for birthdays or festive occasions.
Serve the cake cold, cut with a sharp knife.
You can simply decorate it with thin slices of pineapple, kiwi, and mandarins or with a thin layer of whipped cream.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I make the diplomat cake without a springform pan?
It’s possible, but you risk the cream leaking if you only use a ring. It’s much safer with a springform pan lined with plastic wrap.

2. Why shouldn’t I use berries in this cake?
Berries don’t bind well with this cream and can release too much juice, which excessively softens the mixture and changes the texture.

3. What can I do with the leftover egg whites?
You can freeze them and use them for meringues, sponge cakes, or roulades whenever you need.

4. How can I prevent the whipped cream from deflating during decoration?
Mix the decorative whipped cream with a stabilizer or a little dissolved gelatin. If you only use whipped cream, it may soften and ruin the final appearance.

5. Can I add more milk to the cream?
You can, but the cream will be much more liquid and will need more time to set. The final texture will be denser, not as airy.

Nutritional values (estimates)

For a medium slice (approx. 1/12 of the cake):
Calories: 350-370 kcal
Protein: 5-6 g
Fat: 14-15 g
Carbohydrates: 50-53 g

Values depend on the type of cream, fruits, and how much sugar is in the used compote. The cake is quite high in sugar and carbohydrates due to the ladyfingers and fruits.

Storage and reheating

The diplomat cake can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. It doesn’t freeze well and doesn’t need to be reheated. It’s best consumed while fresh, as long as the texture of the cream remains firm. If there’s leftover whipped cream for decoration, it may release a little water after 1-2 days, but it doesn’t affect the taste.

This is how I make it and the adjustments that have worked for me to consistently achieve good results. It’s not a fussy recipe, but it does require following the steps for a proper outcome.

Cream: Separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat the yolks with sugar until they triple in volume. Keep the egg whites in the freezer if you want to reuse them (e.g., for meringues, roulades, etc.). Add 100 ml of milk to the yolks to help dissolve the sugar and the seeds from the vanilla pod. If you are using vanilla essence, add it at the end, when the whipped cream is incorporated! This cream is placed over a double boiler (above a pot of boiling water, but the bowl should not touch the water) and mixed with a mixer or whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 5 minutes). Let the cream cool, and in the meantime, hydrate the gelatin in 60 ml of pineapple juice (enough to cover it by a finger). Once hydrated, dissolve it over a double boiler or in the microwave (30 seconds) and add it to the yolk cream. Whip the cream until stiff and gently fold it into the yolk cream using a spatula or a pear-shaped whisk. Set the cream aside and prepare the cake mold. Place plastic wrap at the bottom of the cake mold so that the edges are covered all the way up (I used 2 overlapping sheets). Cut the ladyfingers to match the height of the mold, then place them side by side along the mold. You can place fruits on the edges instead of ladyfingers (slices of pineapple, oranges, or kiwi) and use ladyfingers just for the base. I preferred not to soak the ladyfingers on the edges in pineapple juice, as I find them more appealing when dry, and they absorb moisture from the cream! Place fruits (in my case, pineapple) at the base of the mold for the top of the cake (the cake will be inverted, so the base will actually be on top) as shown in picture no. 2. Pour half of the yolk cream over the pineapple slices, add half of the chopped fruits, and gently push them into the cream with a teaspoon. Add the remaining cream and then the rest of the fruits, repeating the same operation. Level nicely with a spoon, then place slightly soaked ladyfingers in syrup on top (as the base when the cake is inverted). Place the cake in the fridge and let it set for at least 5 hours or overnight! Remove the cake from the fridge, then place a platter on top of the cake mold and carefully invert it. Remove the detachable ring, then peel off the plastic wrap. Decorate with sliced fruits and whipped cream (if you still have the patience and with the above mention!). Slice with a very sharp knife and enjoy! It's incredibly delicious! Enjoy your meal! Recommendations: Use only the yolks. Personally, I don't like raw egg whites in the cream! Use tropical fruits: pineapple, kiwi (but very ripe and soft, not with very hard pulp!), otherwise, it will slice ugly. I don't think this cream goes well with berries, but you can use well-drained peaches from compote, oranges, or mandarins (from compote or fresh). Use a mold with a diameter of 24 cm, with a detachable bottom. Not a special detachable ring for cakes (the cream may leak, as I experienced, and I had to overturn everything into a mold with a detachable bottom), so don't take risks! I recommend not overloading the cream with fruits, as they will release juice and the cream may become runny! Cut the ladyfingers exactly to the height of the mold; otherwise, you won't be able to invert it! (In the picture is a cake where I forgot to cut the ladyfingers; consequently, I couldn't invert it and left it in the detachable mold as you see it, so I placed the fruit decoration on top, not at the base of the mold, as is normally done). There are many recipes for diplomat cake; most I have seen use whipped egg whites and milk (about 250 ml). I will provide the ingredients as they turned out perfectly for me, but instead of milk and cream (half/half), I used only 500 ml of whipped cream and only 100 ml of milk to dissolve the sugar well in the yolks. The cream, being stiff, and the yolk cream being thicker (because I used only a little milk), will be very easy to work with; it won't be very liquid, like that cream where more milk is used (250 ml). If you want to decorate the cake with whipped cream, I recommend using a stabilizer for whipped cream or even dissolved gelatin, 7 g. (that's how I had a cake collapse while decorating it with whipped cream, as the cream loosened and liquefied the cake cream, resulting in a small disaster! The difference between cream with more milk and that with more whipped cream is: the one with more whipped cream sets much faster and is easier to work with (it is fluffier), while the one with milk is very liquid but creamier (denser, heavier).

 Ingredients: 300 g ladyfingers (or a package with about 40 ladyfingers) 6 egg yolks 250 g granulated sugar 500 ml whipped cream 100 ml milk 1 can of pineapple slices (for decoration) and 1 can of diced pineapple (350 ml) 2 very ripe kiwis 2 mandarins in syrup or fresh (optional for decoration or for the cream) 1 vanilla pod or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (pure vanilla extract) 25 g gelatin granules

 Tags:  diplomat cake