Today, March 8, is International Women’s Day, a day meant to draw attention to women’s rights and gender equality. In Italy, this holiday is known as the Festa Della Donna (though the literal Italian translation of the day’s name is Giornata internazionale della donna). An Italian tradition on this day is to give the women in your life yellow mimosa flowers, pictured here.
As an outgrowth of the mimosa flower tradition, the Torta Mimosa was born. Torta Mimosa is a cream-layered sponge cake, completely covered in cake pieces which approximate the puffy, yellow flower’s appearance. The exact origins of the cake are debated, but it only made its first appearance in Italy in the 1950s or 60s. The cake gets its pale yellow color from egg yolks (which are brighter yellow in Europe) and lemon juice/peel. Finally, syrup is added to the baked cake, usually consisting of Rum, Grand Marnier, Limoncello, or other non-alcoholic options like pineapple juice. Check out these Torta Mimosa recipes from Inside the Rustic Kitchen, Food 52, and Giallo Zafferano (in Italian). In the video below, in Italian (captions available), Benedetta Rossi walks you through the assembly process, step by step.
Eating The World 