CAKES
Torte
Cakes for every occasion
Italian cakes are luscious and full of flavour, and are made mainly in special pastry shops - pasticcerie - rather than in restaurants or at home. Sadly, away from Italy, we don't have easy access to authentic pasticcerie, so I am here providing you with recipes for a wonderful array of Italian cakes to make in your own kitchen. They are as delicious as anything shop-bought, probably more so (if I say so myself), and are easy to make.
Most Italian families buy cakes for special occasions such as Easter, Christmas, other Christian celebratory days and for birthdays. But they also eat cake on a day-to-day basis (the Italians really like cake!): with coffee in the morning, for merenda (snack) at tea time, or after a meal. I have seen people in cafés having a glass of something alcoholic and a slice of cake for breakfast. I think I draw the line at that.
But one cake is often made at home, and that is the Italian sponge, pan di Spagna (so-called because it was introduced to Italy by the Spanish invaders of Sicily). Classically it is a mix of egg yolks and caster/superfine sugar, into which beaten egg whites and flour are gradually folded. The French savoie biscuits (the sponge fingers used in tiramisù) and cake are similar. But an Italian sponge cake can also be made using whole eggs, which is similar to the French genoise - the name coming obviously from 'Genoese', suggesting an Italian influence. I wonder which came first? Sometimes butter can be included, which makes the cake denser and slightly longer-lasting. Light, soft and airy, the Genoese sponge cake on page 47 can be eaten filled or topped, and is used as the basis of many Italian puddings such as zuppa Inglese (see page 129), cassata (see page 122) or zuccotto (see page 126).
Chocolate is a favourite cake flavouring in Italy, as is coffee. Spices make their appearance too, as do many nuts, such as walnuts and hazelnuts. Almonds are even more common, as they grow prolifically in the south, introduced by the Arabs when they ruled Sicily. The Arabs also imported pistachios from the Middle East, and these are used a lot in Italian cake-, biscuit- and gelato-making. I have a real soft spot for pistachios. I love eating them dried and salted, splitting the shells open with my fingernails; they are wonderful cracked and glued decoratively to the sides and top of a creamy cake, and in the ricotta filling of Sicilian cannoli (deep-fried pastry tubes, see page 96).
There is a great Italian tradition of preserving fruit, and these products find their way into many an Italian cake. Some are dried - grapes as raisins, plums as prunes, apricots as themselves! - and eaten as they are, as a wholesome snack or included in cakes and other foods. Some fruits are candied (see page 170), usually the peel of oranges, lemons, grapefruit and citrons. Candied citrus peel is used in the Milanese panettone, in a filling for Sicilian cannoli, and in cassata. Candied pumpkin is often used in the classic Tuscan panforte, and chestnuts are candied for the luxurious Italian version of the French marrons glacés, marroni canditi. (An unusual variation on the theme is mostarda di Cremona, where candied fruits is cooked in a mustard syrup and served as an accompaniment to boiled meats or cheese.) But fresh fruits are used too, such as apples, apricots, raspberries and pears, and citrus juices are a common flavouring in cakes from southern Italy. Even vegetables are used: I have given you an unusual Italian carrot cake here!
CHERRY & RICOTTA CAKE
Torta ricotta e ciliegie
Ricotta gives a gloriously squidgy texture to this cake, which is to be enjoyed in the cherry season. We are exposed to many different varietals in Italy, but on a recent trip, we used plums (the same quantity), quartered, in place of cherries to great effect.
150 g/? cup/1¼ sticks unsalted butter, softened
225 g/1 cup plus 2 tablespoons caster/superfine sugar
250 g/generous 1 cup ricotta
2 lemons, grated zest of both and juice of 1
4 large/US extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cherry vermouth
175 g/1? cups self-raising/ rising flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
50 g/½ cup flaked almonds
200 g/1 cup stoned/pitted cherries
icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting
20-cm/8-inch springform cake pan, greased and lined
Serves 8-10
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the ricotta and lemon zest until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Beat in the lemon juice, vanilla and cherry vermouth.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a sieve, then sift over the butter mixture and fold together. Fold in half of the almonds until just incorporated, making sure not to over-mix. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the cherries on top, followed by the remaining almonds.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover with foil towards the end of the cooking time if the cake is browning too much.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the pan. Release from the pan and lightly dust with icing sugar to serve.
HAZELNUT & CARROT CAKE
Torta di carote e nocciole
This is a winning combination created by my friend Madalena in Selci Lama, a small village near Perugia. If I didn't include this recipe I would be extremely disappointed in myself. She owns a bakery, hence the inclusion of cake crumbs. Most carrot cakes have a cream cheese topping, but the Italian version is just as it is and I find that equally as delicious. A lighter and healthier version.
340 g/12 oz. organic carrots, peeled and finely grated
170 g/1? cups hazelnuts, toasted and ground
60 g/2 oz. cake crumbs (Madeira or sponge cake)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
grated zest of 1 lemon
5 large/US extra-large eggs, separated
110 g/½ cup plus 2 teaspoons caster/ superfine sugar
icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
23-cm/9-inch cake pan, greased and lined
Serves 6-8
Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/325°F/Gas 3.
Place the carrots in a bowl with the hazelnuts, cake crumbs, baking powder, cinnamon and lemon zest.
Beat the egg yolks with half the sugar using a stand mixer until thick enough that the whisk will leave a trail. Fold it into the carrot mixture.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, but not too dry. Whisk in the remaining sugar. Carefully fold the meringue into the carrot mixture using a large metal spoon.
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1¼ hours until golden and well risen.
Serve with a dusting of icing sugar if desired.
CHESTNUT, CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT CAKE
Torta di castagne, cioccolato e nocciole
This is perfect as an alternative to Christmas cake. It has a celebratory feel with the inclusion of orange, chestnut and brandy. It can also be made dairy free very successfully by using plant-based alternatives.
250 g/2 cups cooked chestnuts
150 ml/? cup full-fat/whole milk
75 g/2¾ oz. dark/bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
50 g/? cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
60 g/¼ cup/½ stick unsalted butter, softened
125 g/? cup caster/superfine sugar
3 large/US extra-large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon brandy
grated zest of ½ orange
100 g/3½ oz. sweetened chestnut spread
100 g/½ cup crème fraîche
icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)
18-cm/7-inch cake pan, greased and lined
Serves 6-8
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.
Soak the chestnuts in the milk for 10-15 minutes until soft, then drain and discard the milk.
Whizz the chocolate in a food processor until it forms a coarse paste, then set aside. Rinse out the processor, then add the chestnuts and hazelnuts and blend to a rough paste. Set aside.
Put the butter and sugar in the processor and cream together until smooth. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, then add the brandy and orange zest. When everything is well combined, transfer to a large bowl and fold in the chocolate and the chestnut mixture.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and beat 2 tablespoons into the cake mixture to loosen, then fold in the rest. Tip the mixture into the prepared pan, level the surface and bake for 30 minutes until risen and firm to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the baking paper and leave to cool completely.
Swirl the chestnut spread through the crème fraîche and serve with the cake, lightly dusted with icing sugar, if wished.
FRAGRANT COFFEE & CINNAMON LOAF CAKE
Torta al caffè e cannella
This cake is the perfect combination of flavours and really easy to make and to enjoy. Coffee cakes are always winners in my eyes. This is one of my most requested recipes.
175 g/¾ cup plus 1 teaspoon/1½...
