Italian Rum Cake is a delicious 3 or 4 layer cake, which is a tradition for birthdays/special occasions in many Italian families. There are 3 basic parts to the cake; sponge cake layers, pasticciera cream (filling) and (stabilized) whipped cream. Below are the recipes for all three parts. If you make it with 3 layers, omit the whipped cream layer. The sponge cake and pasticciera creams may be made a day ahead. The whipped cream should be whipped just before assembling the cake. Prep/Cook times do not include the 3-4 hour chilling time for the pasticciera cream. PLEASE NOTE: This is an egg leavened cake! The egg yolks and whites MUST be beaten to the correct volume and consistency or the recipe will not work. Also, the other ingredients must be folded in (beaten WHITES folded INTO the YOLK/sugar mixture NOT the other way around) in the order given in the directions or the cake will not turn out. The finished layers will be thin depending on the size of your pan. The smaller the pan, the thicker the layers and the longer the baking time needed. If you are expecting this cake to turn out like a "Génoise or American sponge cake," you will be disappointed as this is not a Génoise sponge recipe.