Michelangelo's genius was not his art. It was his vision of life and the way
that he used his art to translate and communicate that vision to us. Michelangelo's work was basically
a metaphor for his vision of a higher plane of existence, of man's eternal
struggle with himself and others, and how to reconcile and communicate hat vision and
struggle.
Michelangelo's life and art were a constant
struggle between human and divine beauty. As Michelangelo grew older and began to
contemplate the meaning of life, his works began to represent life's inner
turmoil. The bodies that he created took on more heroic proportions and
symbolized the dimension of the struggle within.
If Michelangelo was concerned
about God's judgment of his homoerotic yearnings, he had a right to be. God
may have inspired someone to cast the 6'3", homophobic Charlton Heston
to play
the diminutive, tortured
Michelangelo in
The Agony and the Ecstasy
(1965) as the
artist's punishment. Thankfully,
there are several excellent documentary films on the artist/architect/poet including Robert Snyder's
pair of films:
The Titan: Story of Michelangelo
(1950). and
Michelangelo: Self-Portrait (1989).
In
Italy, where his architecture is celebrated as much as his sculpture,
paintings, and drawings, Michelangelo's birthday is celebrated with a
wonderful cake, Zucotto alla Michelangelo. The word
zucotto means dome or pumpkin, a
reference to the dome-shaped basilica of St. Peter's which
Michelangelo designed and which the cake represents. Enjoy it with
Michelangelo: Self-Portrait.
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Spongecake
Ingredients
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Cream Filling
Ingredients
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12 eggs, separated
2 cups powdered sugar
2 TB vanilla
1 tsp salt
1/2
cup flour
1/2
cup cornstarch
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup maraschino liqueur
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1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup
maraschino liqueur
2 cups cup whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 oz unsweetened chocolate; grated
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- Preheat over to 350° F. Butter and flour 3
9" cake pans.
- Combine egg yolks, powdered sugar, and
vanilla into a large bowl and beat for about 8 minutes, or until thick and
lemon colored.
- Combine egg whites and salt in a separate
bowl and beat until whites hold soft peaks. Fold whites into yolk-mixture.
- Sift flour, cornstarch, and cream of
tartar in a separate bowl. Fold into yolk mixture.
- Pour batter evenly into 3 cake pans and
bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out
clean. Invert cakes on racks to cool.
Instructions for
nuts
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- Bake hazelnuts in ungreased baking
pan at 400° F for 5 minutes or until skins begin to crack.
- Wrap hazelnuts in clean towel. Let
stand 2 minutes.
- Rub hazelnuts in towel to remove
skins. Chop hazelnuts. Return to baking pan.
- Bake about 8 minutes until golden
brown, stirring occasionally. Cool.
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Instructions for filling
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- Beat together whipping cream and
powdered sugar in chilled medium bowl until stiff. Fold in hazelnuts,
cherries and chocolate.
- Spoon filling into cake-lined bowl.
Place remaining cake pieces on filling. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
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Instructions for
assembly
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- Spray a 5-quart bowl
with nonstick cooking
spray. Line the bowl with plastic wrap.. The
bowl should
not be more than 10" in diameter.
- When cakes are cool, cut 2 of the cakes in
pieces to cover bottom of and line sides of a 5-quart bowl or mold. The
bowl or mold should not be more than 10" in diameter. After putting pieces
in place, sprinkle cake with 2/3rds of maraschino liqueur.
- Spoon in filing.
Cover with remaining layer of cake. Cover top of bowl with plastic
wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove plastic wrap. Cover with serving dish.
Invert and tap on top of bowl to loosen. Remove bowl and plastic wrap.
Serves 10
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