THE ULTIMATE MOIST AND TENDER CHOCOLATE CAKE:
TORTA TENERINA 41
7 CUPS CAKE: TORTA DEI 7 VASETTI
CAPRI’S FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE-ALMOND CAKE: TORTA CAPRESE
LUSCIOUS OLIVE OIL–LEMON CAKE: CAPRESE AL LIMONE
RUSTIC TUSCAN APPLE CAKE: TORTA DI MELE
BUCKWHEAT RED CURRANT JAM CAKE:
TORTA DI GRANO SARACENO
ALMOND-CORNMEAL CRUMBLE WITH SPICY CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
SBRISOLONA
BREAD CRUMB–CHOCOLATE CAKE: TORTA DI PANE E CIOCCOLATO
CORNMEAL-APPLE GOOD LUCK CAKE: PINZA
INTENSELY ITALIAN CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES
SWEET ROSEMARY AND GRAPE FOCACCIA: SCHIACCIATA ALL’UVA
LEMON BRIOCHE “ROSE” CAKE: TORTA DI ROSE
CANTALOUPE CAKE: TORTA DI MELONE
FIG AND ROSEMARY HONEY FOCACCIA:
FOCACCIA DI FICHI E ROSMARINO
SERVES 8
REGION: Emilia-Romagna
This flourless cake, which has a crisp, macaroon-like outer layer and a dense, incredibly moist center, is by far one of the best tasting chocolate desserts I’ve ever tried. As the cake cools, it collapses just a little, creating a pretty webbing on the delicious crust.
It’s made with only five ingredients, so be sure to use only top-quality chocolate, as it really stands out. This is a must-try recipe.
il tenero rompe
il duro.
TENDER TRUMPS TOUGH.
Butter 
7 tablespoons (3½ ounces/100 grams)
Dark chocolate 7 ounces/200 grams
Sugar 1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams)
Eggs 4 large, separated
Potato starch or cornstarch 2 tablespoons
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (23-centimeter) springform cake pan (see Note).
Put the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and melt them, either in a microwave oven or over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar and egg yolks with an electric mixer until creamy and pale yellow. Add the chocolate mixture and beat until creamy. Add the potato starch and mix until well combined.
In a separate large bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff. Slowly, using a clean spatula, fold the egg whites, a little at a time, into the chocolate mixture until combined. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, until just set and firm in the center. Do not overbake: The cake will continue to set as it cools. Cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes (the top will collapse and the crust will crack a bit) before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: You can also make this cake in a slightly larger or smaller springform pan, or in a square or rectangular pan, or even in individual-serving ramekins. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
SERVES 10 TO 12
REGION: Throughout Italy
Almost every Italian knows this recipe by heart. Embarrassingly simple to make, the cake’s name comes from the fact that the ingredients equal seven “cups,” using a yogurt container as the cup measure.
I love how the yogurt and olive oil combine to create a wonderful clean tart-sweet taste. It’s great plain or served with a dollop of homemade jam.
tutto fa brodo.
EVERYTHING MAKES SOUP.
Plain yogurt (see Note) 1 container (6-fluid ounce/180-milliliter)
Olive or other vegetable oil 1 container
Sugar 2 containers
00 flour 3 containers
Eggs 3 large
Baking powder 2 teaspoons
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil a standard 12-cup (2480-milliliter) tube cake pan and dust with flour.
Empty the container of yogurt into a bowl and, using the empty container as a measure, add the oil, sugar, and flour. Add the eggs and baking powder. Using an electric mixer, blend the ingredients until well combined and free of lumps. The dough will be fairly dense. If you like, you can add flavorings (see Un Altro Modo, left, for suggestions). Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack before turning out of the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NOTE: Since the yogurt container determines the proportions of the other ingredients, you can use a slightly smaller or larger container of yogurt, depending on how big a cake you’d like. I’ve tested the recipe with 4- and 8-fluid-ounce (120-milliliter and 240-milliliter) containers, as well as the 6-fluid-ounce/180-milliliter container described. The cake came out perfect in all cases, but with the larger containers, it needed a little more time in the oven.
UN ALTRO MODO
Apple Rosemary Cake: Add 1 to 2 peeled and diced apples and 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary.
Chocolate Cake: Add 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 ounces/55 grams chopped dark chocolate.
Spice Cake: Add 2 handfuls of chopped panforte or panpepato, Italy’s famed spiced fruit and nut cake, available online or in gourmet shops.
Sublime Citrus Cake: Add grated orange, lime, or lemon zest.
Peach Cake: Add 1 to 2 diced fresh peaches.
SERVES 8 TO 10
REGION: Lombardy, but popular throughout northern Italy
This tangy, moist lemon cake with a terrific crunchy crust has an incredibly silky mouthfeel. Described by many Italians as la torta dei ricordi, it’s a “memory-lane” cake that their mothers had waiting for them on the kitchen table after school. Aptly named, it’s heavenly tasting.
soli non si
starebbe bene
nemmeno in paradiso.
ONE CAN’T BE HAPPY ALONE,
EVEN IN PARADISE.
Butter 12 tablespoons (6 ounces/170 grams)
00 flour ⅔ cup (3 ounces/85 grams), sifted
Egg yolks 6 large
Sugar 1⅔ cups (11½ ounces/330 grams)
Potato starch 1¼ cups (5 ounces/140 grams), sifted
Baking powder 2 teaspoons
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Egg whites 2 large
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9½-inch (23.75-centimeter) round cake pan.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams) of the sugar until fluffy and light yellow. Set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the remaining ⅔ cup (6½ ounces/180 grams) sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg-yolk mixture, flour, potato starch, baking powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined. Set the batter aside.
In a medium bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites, a little at a time, into the batter until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack, then turn the cake out of the pan.
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve. It’s best eaten within a day or two.
SERVES 10
REGION: Campania
Dark chocolate and finely ground almonds meld into a densely rich flourless cake, with a crisp top crust and moist center. This traditional Italian dessert, created on the island of Capri, is one of Italy’s most popular desserts. Since torta caprese is such a classic, I felt it was my duty to taste-test at least a dozen examples during a recent visit to Italy! Chef Mimmo di Raffaele, of the famed Hotel Caruso in Ravello, prepared my absolute favorite. He adds lemon zest to the traditional recipe, and that teeny hint of citrus really makes the chocolate flavor pop.
chi capri non vede,
paradiso non crede.
IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN CAPRI,
YOU CAN’T BELIEVE IN HEAVEN.
Butter 10 tablespoons (5 ounces/140 grams)
Cornstarch or potato flour for the pan
Whole blanched almonds 1 cup (5 ounces/140 grams)
Dark chocolate 5 ounces/140 grams, chopped
Sugar ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon (5¾ ounces/165 grams)
Unsweetened cocoa powder 1½ tablespoons
Eggs 3 large, separated
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (23-centimeter) round cake pan and lightly dust with cornstarch.
Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until lightly golden. Let cool to room temperature, then grind in a food processor until the texture resembles coarse sand. The almonds should not be ground too fine. Set aside.
Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt it, either in a microwave oven or over a saucepan of gently simmering water, then add the butter and stir until melted and combined. Let cool slightly.
Using an electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until creamy and light yellow. In a steady stream, add the chocolate-butter mixture and beat until combined. Beat in the ground almonds, lemon zest, and vanilla until combined.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently, a little at a time, using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the egg whites. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The surface will be cracked; this is normal. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then turn the cake out of the pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
NOTE: This flourless cake is ideal for those with wheat allergies!
SERVES 10
REGION: Campania
This is a galaxy far, far away from any lemon cake you’ve ever tasted! The olive oil not only makes for an insanely moist cake, but it really brings out the flavor of the lemon, creating a lovely citrus tang.
Caprese, which means “from Capri,” is a dark chocolate and almond cake first created on the island of Capri off the Amalfi coast. A popular variation, made instead with white chocolate and lemons, is called caprese al limone. Salvatore De Riso, one of Italy’s most renowned pastry chefs, makes this variation, which uses olive oil instead of butter. He also adds a bit of candied lemon peel, a great trick that adds loads of flavor and moisture.
andare liscio
come l’olio.
SMOOTH AS OIL. (SAID WHEN
THINGS GO PATICULARLY WELL.)
Extra-virgin olive oil 6 tablespoons
Potato starch or cornstarch ¼ cup (1 ounces/30 grams)
Whole almonds 1¼ cups (7 ounces/200 grams)
Confectioners’ sugar 1 cup (3½ ounces/100 grams)
Pure vanilla extract 2 teaspoons
White chocolate 6 ounces/170 grams, grated on a cheese grater
Candied lemon peel 3 heaping tablespoons
Grated zest of 3 lemons
Baking powder 2 teaspoons
Baking soda ½ teaspoon
Eggs 5 large
Sugar 4 tablespoons
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9-inch (23-centimeter) round cake pan and dust with potato starch.
In a food processor, grind the almonds and confectioners’ sugar until the mixture resembles fine sand. Add the vanilla, white chocolate, candied lemon peel, lemon zest, potato starch, baking powder, and baking soda and process until well combined. Add the oil and process until combined. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until they triple in volume, at least 10 minutes. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, slowly incorporate the almond mixture into the egg-sugar mixture until combined. The eggs will deflate a little; that’s normal.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 320°F (160°C) and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour, then turn the cake out of the pan and let cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
SERVES 8 TO 10
REGION: Tuscany
A classic! At first glance it may seem like a huge ratio of apple to dough and you’re going to be tempted to cut down on the apples. Don’t! They magically meld into the batter, and you’ll love the result. The top half of the torta is chock full of tender apples that float over sweet, moist cake. This is a deceptively simple recipe that yields exceptional results.
pareva la torta di
nonna papera!
LOOKS LIKE GRANDMA DUCK’S
CAKE! (SAID OF A PARTICULARLY
PRETTY CAKE OR PIE.)
Butter 2 tablespoons
00 flour 1¾ cups (7 ounces/200 grams)
Sugar ⅔ cup plus 1 tablespoon (5 ounces/140 grams)
Eggs 2 large
Milk ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters)
Baking powder 2 teaspoons
Baking soda 1 teaspoon
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Apples 4 small (about 2 pounds/ 910 grams)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour an 8-inch (20-centimeter) round cake pan.
In a large bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the ⅔ cup (4½ ounces/130 grams) sugar and the eggs until creamy and light yellow. Beat in the flour, milk, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Peel and core the apples. Dice one and sprinkle it over the batter. Cut the remaining apples into thin slices and spread them in a neat pattern over the diced apples in the pan. Scatter thin pats of butter over the apples and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake for about 75 minutes, until dark golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Practically everyone in Italy knows Disney’s Elvira “Grandma Duck” Coot, Donald Duck’s grandmother. Nonna Papera, as she’s known, is spry, has all sorts of adventures, and yet bakes up beautiful pies. She was so popular in Italy that a children’s cookbook called Manuale di Nonna Papera was published in 1970. It became a phenomenal success and is the source of many fond foodie memories for millions of Italians. To compliment a particularly lovely cake Italians will often say, “Pareva la torta di Nonna Papera!” —it looks like Grandma Duck’s cake!
SERVES 4 TO 6
REGION: Abruzzo
I smile every time I think of this cake. It’s really cute! Baked in a small metal salad bowl, it comes out as an adorable little dome, which is then covered in dark chocolate. Semolina flour, the essential ingredient for making authentic Italian pasta, gives this cake a pleasing grainy texture, while the almond flour adds lushness. Both almond and semolina flour are easily found in health food stores and even in many supermarkets in the United States.
buon fuoco fa
buon couco.
A GOOD FIRE MAKES A GOOD COOK.
Butter 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/55 grams), softened
Semolina flour ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (3½ ounces/100 grams)
Eggs 4 large, separated
Sugar ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/150 grams)
Almond flour or very finely ground blanched almonds 1 cup (5 ounces/140 grams)
Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
Dark chocolate 2½ ounces/70 grams, chopped
Preheat the oven to 320°F (155°C). Butter and flour a metal bowl about 3 cups– (720 milliliters–) size, that is 6 inches (15 centimeters) in diameter. Line the bottom of the bowl with a circle of parchment paper and butter and flour the paper.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until fluffy and light yellow. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gradually stir in the semolina and almond flours, lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, and salt until well combined. Set the batter aside.
In a separate large bowl, using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg whites until very stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter and pour into the prepared bowl. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, turn out onto a wire rack, and cool completely.
Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt it, either in a microwave oven or over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Spread the chocolate over the cooled cake and let the chocolate set before serving.
Parrozzo is a typical dessert of Abruzzo, a region on the east coast of Italy. Its name comes from a domed bread made by the local fisherman, pane rozzo, or coarse bread, made with cornmeal, olive oil, and other local ingredients. In 1900, a pastry chef from the Abruzzo town of Pescara, Luigi D’Amico, transformed the bread into a dessert by adding almonds, sugar, and eggs and then coating the whole thing in chocolate so that it looked like the dark, golden, oven-baked pane rozzo. It became a hit in the region and was further popularized by the Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, a friend of the chef’s, who not only suggested the cake’s name but also wrote a poem in its honor.
SERVES 12
REGION: Trentino–Alto Adige
It’s no wonder this is one of northern Italy’s most popular desserts. The fabulously earthy buckwheat gets a rich nuttiness from the hazelnut flour and a tang from the jam filling. If you like buckwheat pancakes, you’ll love this cake.
vin che salti,
pan che canti,
formaggio che pianga.
WINE THAT JUMPS, BREAD THAT
SINGS, CHEESE THAT WEEPS.
(REFERRING TO SPARKLING WINE,
CRUSTY BREAD, AND RUNNY CHEESE.)
Butter 8 tablespoons (4 ounces/115 grams)
Buckwheat flour 1½ cups (8 ounces/225 grams)
Sugar 1⅔ cups (11½ ounces/330 grams)
Eggs 6 large, separated
Grappa 2 tablespoons (optional)
Hazelnut flour or finely ground hazelnuts ½ cup (2½ ounces/70 grams)
Baking powder 3 teaspoons
Baking soda 1 teaspoon
Salt ¼ teaspoon
Red currant or other berry jam 1½ cups (12 fluid ounces/360 milliliters)
Whipped cream, optional
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and flour a 10-inch (25-centimeter) round cake pan.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy and light yellow. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until creamy and well combined. Add the grappa.
Sift together the buckwheat flour, hazelnut flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and add—gradually, ¼ cup (35 grams) at a time—into the mixture, beating to combine after each addition. Set the batter aside.
In a separate large bowl, with clean and dry beaters, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the batter. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, then increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes longer, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack, then turn the cake out of the pan.
Using a long serrated knife, split the cake in half horizontally and spread the bottom layer with a generous amount of jam. Cover with the top layer and serve with whipped cream, if you like.
NOTE: You can find hazelnut flour in most supermarkets, or simply grind blanched hazelnuts in a mini food processor until the texture resembles fine sand.
SERVES 10
REGION: Lombardy
Sbrisolona, which means “crumbly,” is rustic and grainy, with a homey taste—more of a giant cookie than a cake. In fact, in Italy this dessert is not cut like a cake but rather broken with the hands or with a wooden spoon at the table, with everyone taking bits and pieces. A typical dessert of Lombardy that’s so tightly tied to that region and Italian culinary heritage that authorities there have applied for official denominatzione di origine controllata (DOC) status. The cake is fabulous plain, but the chocolate sauce complements it nicely, creating a very intriguing flavor combination.
la polenta è utile
per quattro cose: serve
da minestra, serve da pane,
sazia, e scalda le mani.
POLENTA IS GOOD FOR FOUR THINGS:
TO MAKE SOUP, TO MAKE BREAD,
TO FILL YOU UP, AND TO WARM
YOUR HANDS.
FOR THE CAKE:
Butter (see Note) 16 tablespoons (8 ounces/225 grams)
Fine-ground cornmeal 1 cup (5 ounces/140 grams)
All-purpose flour 2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams)
Sugar 1 cup (7 ounces/200 grams)
Almonds (either slivered or a mix of finely and coarsely chopped whole almonds) 1½ cups (7 ounces/200 grams)
Egg yolks 2 large
Pure vanilla extract 1 tablespoon
Grated zest of 1 lemon
FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
Dark chocolate 3½ ounces/100 grams, chopped
Heavy cream ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters)
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
Almond liqueur, such as Amaretto 2 tablespoons
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 10- to 11-inch (25- to 28-centimeter) springform pan and dust with cornmeal.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, cornmeal, flour, sugar, almonds, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest, crumbling the ingredients with your fingers until just coarsely combined. It should look lumpy and dry. Take loose handfuls of the mixture and sprinkle it into the prepared pan. It will be irregular and should be very crumbly and freeform. Do not press it smooth or compact it: It will come together as it bakes. Top with a scattering of almond slivers or whole almonds, if you like.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until golden at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack.
Make the chocolate sauce: Just before serving, put the chocolate and cream in a medium bowl and melt the chocolate, either in a microwave oven or over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Add red pepper flakes and liqueur, to taste.
Serve the cake at room temperature with the warm chocolate sauce on the side.
NOTE: If you’d like an even crisper cake, substitute lard for the butter.
SERVES 12
REGION: Emilia-Romagna, and throughout northern Italy
“A cup of bread crumbs and no sugar! You’ve got to be kidding,” I exclaimed when a Bologna pastry chef, Olimpia Apogeo, e-mailed me this recipe. It took two phone calls, several more e-mails, and a Skype session to finally convince me to try it. I remained skeptical even as it went into the oven. But what came out was fantastic! Rustic, with a pleasingly grainy texture, the bread crumbs turned out to be a wonderful canvas for dark chocolate. Just like bread and chocolate, but as cake.
Made entirely in a food processor, this cake takes only minutes to prepare. I especially like the hint of bitter almonds from the amaretti cookies, which nicely highlights the chocolate.
dire pane al pane
e vino al vino.
TO CALL BREAD BREAD
AND WINE WINE. (TO CALL IT
LIKE YOU SEE IT.)
Butter and flour for the pan
Crisp amaretti (almond cookies) 54 cookies (about 7 ounces/200 grams)
Plain bread crumbs 1 1/3 cups (7 ounces/200 grams)
Dark chocolate 7 ounces/198 grams, chopped
Heavy cream 1½ cups (12 fluid ounces/360 milliliters)
Eggs 3 large
Rum, or liqueur such as Sassolino 4 tablespoons
Baking powder 1½ tablespoons
Confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch (23-centimeter) round cake pan.
Grind the cookies in a food processor until the texture resembles coarse sand.
Add the bread crumbs and chocolate and process until the chocolate is finely chopped and the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the cream, eggs, rum, and baking powder and process until well combined. The dough will be very thick and dense. Spread the dough evenly in the prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch. Do not overbake. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then turn the cake out of the pan.
Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
UN ALTRO MODO
Double Bread Crumb: Instead of the amaretti cookies, add another 1 cup (8 ounces/190 grams) bread crumbs and honey to taste.
Any-Cookie Bread Crumb Cake: Substitute another type of cookie—like cantucci or savoiardi—for the amaretti.
Bread and Jam Cake: Ice the cake with jam or swirl ½ cup (4 ounces/100 grams) jam into the batter.
Anything-Goes Bread Crumb Cake: Add ½ cup (2 ounces/55 grams) crushed nuts or ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters) fresh fruit to the batter.
SERVES 10
REGION: Campania, especially Naples, but now found throughout Italy
A moist, yeasty, briochelike cake saturated with sweet rum syrup, this is one of my favorite desserts. It not only is easy to make and stays moist for days, but the homemade cake tastes just as good as pastry-shop versions. In Naples, babà are sold individually in their traditional mushroom shape, and also in larger cake-sized portions. Babà are eaten either plain or with pastry cream or whipped cream, and topped with fresh fruit like tiny wild strawberries.
sì nu babá.
YOU ARE A BABÀ. (NEAPOLITAN
FOR A PARTICULARLY
NICE PERSON.)
Active dry yeast 4½ teaspoons (2 envelopes)
Milk ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters), warmed
Sugar 3 cups plus ¼ cup (22¾ ounces/650 grams)
Eggs 3 large
Egg yolk 1 large
Butter 8 tablespoons (4 ounces/115 grams), melted
All-purpose flour 2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams)
Grated zest of ½ orange
Salt ¼ teaspoon
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Dark rum ¼ to ¾ cup (2 to 6 fluid ounces/60 to 180 milliliters)
In a large bowl, combine the yeast, milk, and ¼ cup (1¾ ounces/50 grams) of the sugar and let rest for about 3 minutes, until it bubbles. Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs, egg yolk, and butter until smooth. Gradually mix in the flour, a little at a time, until combined. Stir in the orange zest and salt. Let rest, lightly covered with plastic wrap, until the dough doubles, about 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter and flour a nonstick standard 12-cup tube cake pan.
In a medium saucepan, bring 1½ cup (12 fluid ounces/360 milliliters) water and the remaining 3 cups (21 ounces/600 grams) sugar to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon zest, and set aside.
Meanwhile press the dough into the prepared pan and set aside to rise a second time, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Let the cake cool just enough to turn it out of the pan and transfer it to a serving platter.
One hour before serving the cake, add the rum, to taste, to the sugar syrup, and slowly, in drops, pour the rum syrup over the cake until it is completely absorbed. Serve at room temperature.
SERVES 10
REGION: Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia
This is a moist, orange-scented yeast cake bursting with apples, dried fruit, and nuts. Eating pinza during the New Year celebrations is supposed to bring good luck, and many Italians will even wrap a slice in a white linen napkin and save it for months to hold on to the promise of good fortune.
One of my favorite legends surrounding pinza is that if a woman wants to be married within the year, all she needs to do is eat seven slices in seven different homes she visits on January 6 for the Feast of the Epiphany.
chi mangia l’uva
per capodanno
maneggia i quattrini tutto l’anno.
WHOEVER EATS GRAPES ON NEW YEAR’S
DAY WILL HAVE GOOD LUCK ALL YEAR.
Milk 2 cups (16 fluid ounces/480 milliliters)
Grated zest of ½ lemon
Honey 1 tablespoon
Corn, or other vegetable oil 7 tablespoons
Fine-ground cornmeal ½ cup (2½ ounces/70 grams)
Active dry yeast 2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope)
Raisins 1 cup (5 ounces/140 grams)
Dried figs 10 to 12, thinly sliced
Chopped walnuts 2 tablespoons
Pine nuts 1 tablespoon
Fennel seeds 1 teaspoon
Sugar 5 tablespoons
Salt 1 teaspoon
All-purpose flour 3 cups (13½ ounces/385 grams)
Butter 10 tablespoons (5 ounces/140 grams), melted
One small firm apple, peeled and thinly sliced
Mashed cooked pumpkin, or canned, unsweetened pumpkin puree 4 heaping tablespoons
Grated zest of ½ orange
Confectioners’ sugar
In a medium saucepan, bring ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces/180 milliliters) of the milk, the lemon zest, honey, and 1 tablespoon of the oil to a boil. Gradually sprinkle in the cornmeal and cook, stirring to remove any lumps, until the mixture thickens to a dense paste, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
Warm the remaining milk and pour it into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, allow it to bubble, and stir to dissolve. Add the raisins, figs, walnuts, pine nuts, fennel, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, the salt, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ½ cup (2 ounces/55 grams) of the flour and stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line the bottom and sides of a rectangular baking pan, roughly 10 by 12 inches (30.5 by 25 centimeters), with parchment paper.
Add the remaining 6 tablespoons oil, the butter, and the cornmeal mixture to the yeast mixture and stir well to remove any lumps. Add the apple slices, pumpkin, orange zest, and remaining 4 tablespoons granulated sugar and mix until well combined.
Gradually add the remaining 2½ cups (11¼ ounces/315 grams) flour, combining thoroughly after each addition.
Spread the mixture in the prepared pan, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until golden. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve. The cake will stay fresh for two to three days.
SERVES 6
REGION: Piedmont, and throughout northern Italy
Just five ingredients and ten minutes to chocolate bliss, this is a foolproof recipe. Dessert doesn’t get much better than this—oozy, rich, fudgy, chocolate in the center and a dense, moist cake around it. This recipe, given to me by G. B. Martelli of Venchi chocolates, is one you must try to appreciate just how luscious fine Italian chocolate is.
peccati di gola.
SINS OF THE THROAT.
Butter 8 tablespoons (4 ounces/115 grams)
Eggs 3 large
Sugar ½ cup (3½ ounces/100 grams)
All-purpose flour ¼ cup (1 ounces/30 grams)
Dark chocolate (preferably Venchi brand) 6 ounces/170 grams
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter six ½-cup (4-fluid ounce/120-milliliter) ramekins.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until smooth. Add the flour and beat to combine.
Put the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and melt them, either in a microwave oven or over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Beat the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
Divide the batter among the prepared ramekins. Put the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until set. Turn each ramekin upside down onto a serving plate and unmold. Serve warm.
SERVES 6.
REGION: Tuscany
This dessert is actually two focaccias, one baked right over the other, stuffed and topped with plump grapes. The bottom crust bakes thin and crisp, while the top puffs up tender and cakey. Some of the grapes collapse a little and release pools of pretty purple juice, while others stay whole. When you take a bite, you get the satisfying chewiness of bread, crunchy in spots, plus the warm grapes, which burst in your mouth. It’s sophisticated and rustic at the same time. Schiacciata—meaning “flattened or squashed”—is the term they use in Florence for foccacia.
mangiare il fumo alle
schiacciate.
EAT THE SMOKE FROM A FOCACCIA.
(SAID IN TUSCANY, OF SOMEONE
PARTICULARLY QUICK.)
Olive oil 10 tablespoons (5 fluid ounces/150 milliliters)
Fresh rosemary, finely minced 2 tablespoons
Active dry yeast 2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope)
Warm water ½ cup
All-purpose flour 2 cups (10½ ounces/297 grams)
Sugar 11 tablespoons (4½ ounces/130 grams)
Salt ½ teaspoon
Black seedless grapes 3 pounds (1.4 kilograms), stems removed
Anise seeds 2 teaspoons
In a small saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of the oil and the rosemary until warm. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Sprinkle the yeast into the warm water and set it aside until it bubbles, about 2 minutes. Sift the flour onto a work surface or into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and fill with the yeast water, the rosemary oil, 3 table-spoons of the sugar, and the salt. Gradually incorporate the flour into the liquid in the well until a dough forms. Knead the dough until smooth, then set it aside in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Coat a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-centimeter) baking pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil.
Put about half of the grapes into a bowl and, using a large fork or potato masher, gently break the skins. Stir in the remaining grapes whole.
Take slightly more than half of the dough and roll it out to fit the baking pan. Put the dough into the prepared pan and brush with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Top with a little more than half of the crushed and whole grapes. Sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 teaspoon of the anise.
Roll out and stretch the remaining dough to fit the pan. It will be thin. Place the dough over the grape layer. It’s okay if it doesn’t fully cover the bottom layer. Spread with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and the remaining grapes, 4 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon anise. Bake for about 1 hour, until the top is golden brown. Serve at room temperature.
SERVES 9
REGION: Emilia-Romagna
This has been a popular dessert in Italy since the Renaissance, when it was often served at wedding feasts. Appropriate, since it looks like a lovely bouquet of roses! Today in Italy, especially the north, it’s a favorite mid-morning or afternoon snack. It’s sort of like a cluster of cinnamon buns, but lemon-flavored.
se sono rose,
fioriranno.
IF THEY’RE TRULY ROSES, THEY’LL
BLOOM. (TIME WILL TELL.)
Milk ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces/180 milliliters)
Active dry yeast 2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope)
All-purpose flour 2½ cups (11¼ ounces/315 grams)
Egg yolks 2 large
Sugar ⅔ cup plus ¼ cup (6¼ ounces/180 grams)
Olive oil 2 tablespoons
Salt ¼ teaspoon
Butter 8 tablespoons (4 ounces/115 grams)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon
Egg white 1 large, lightly beaten
Confectioners’ sugar
Warm ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces/60 milliliters) of the milk into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk, allow it to bubble, and stir to dissolve. Sift in ½ cup (2 ounces/55 grams) of the flour and stir to combine, adding extra milk, a drop at a time, as needed until a dough forms. Knead the dough, right in the bowl, until smooth, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour or overnight. This is the “starter.”
To the starter, sift in the remaining 2 cups (9 ounces/255 grams) flour, then add the remaining ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters) milk, the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar, the oil, and salt. Stir until a dough forms, adding drops of extra milk as needed if the dough is too dry. Knead until smooth, then set the dough aside while you prepare the filling.
Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch (23-centimeter) round cake pan. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the butter, ⅔ cup (4½ ounces/130 grams) of the granulated sugar, the lemon zest, and cinnamon until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll the dough out into a rectangle about 12 by 18 inches (46 by 30.5 centimeters), and ½ inch (12 millimeters) thick. Spread the filling over the rectangle of dough, all the way to the edges, leaving a 1-inch (24-millimeter) strip uncovered at the long end farthest from you. Gently roll the dough, starting at the long end of the rectangle closest to you, up over itself, forming a spiral. Using a sharp knife, cut nine 1½-inch-(36-millimeter) thick slices of the roll. Arrange the slices, cut side down, in the prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Poke the dough to test it. If the indentation stays, it’s ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush the cake with the egg white and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden. Cool to room temperature in the pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. To serve, have your guests pull off a “rose,” and eat it out of hand.
SERVES 12
REGION: Piedmont
Speckled with pretty orange bits of cantaloupe, this cake is as lovely as it is luscious. Cantaloupe adds an amazing moistness and natural sweetness to this outstanding quick-to-assemble cake. The hint of Asti Spumante provides its enticing aroma.
gli uomini sono come
i meloni: molti cattivi
e pochi buoni.
MEN ARE LIKE MELONS: LOTS
OF BAD ONES AND ONLY
A FEW GOOD ONES.
Diced cantaloupe 3 cups (17 ounces/480 grams)
Asti Spumante 2 cups (16 fluid ounces/480 milliliters)
Butter for the pan
All-purpose flour 2 cups (8 ounces/225 grams)
Eggs 2 large, separated
Sugar 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces/225 grams)
Baking powder 2 teaspoons
Combine the melon and wine in a bowl and let rest for at least 30 minutes to infuse the melon with the wine’s flavors.
Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Lightly butter and flour a standard 12-cup Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or whisk, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until creamy and light yellow. Gradually, adding a little at a time, beat in the flour and baking powder until combined. Set the batter aside.
In a medium bowl, with clean and dry beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the batter until combined. Using a slotted spoon, add the cantaloupe and about 2 tablespoons of the liquid to the batter and stir until just combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve at room temperature.
SERVES 6 TO 8
REGION: Tuscany
Take advantage of fig season with this fragrant and unusual dessert. It’s sweet, but not too sweet, with a satisfying mix of crunchy and chewy textures.
al fico l’acqua,
alla pesca il vino.
GIVE FIGS WATER, PEACHES WINE. (IN
Italy, FIGS ARE GENERALLY SERVED IN A
BOWL OF WATER TO COOL THEM, WHILE
PEACHES ARE OFTEN SERVED SLICED IN
A GLASS OF WINE.)
Active dry yeast 2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope)
Warm water ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters)
All-purpose flour 2 cups (10½ ounces/298 grams)
Olive oil 2 tablespoons
Sugar 2 tablespoons
Salt ½ teaspoon
Fresh figs 16 to 18, stems removed
Honey 3 tablespoons
Fresh rosemary leaves 1 tablespoon
Juice of ½ lemon
Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let the yeast bubble, about 2 minutes. Sift the flour onto a work surface or into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and fill with the yeast water, oil, sugar, and salt. Gradually incorporate the flour into the liquid, until a dough forms. Add a few drops more water if needed. Knead the dough until smooth, then set aside in a lightly oiled bowl until it doubles, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Oil a 10-inch (25-centimeter) round springform cake pan.
Using your hands, press the dough out into the prepared pan. Pierce the dough all over with a fork.
Carefully cut a cross into the bottom of one of the figs, halfway down, so the fig opens like a flower. Press it into the center of the dough. Slice the remaining figs in half and arrange them around the center fig, cut side up, pressing them into the dough as far as possible.
Put the honey, rosemary, and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir until well combined. Using a pastry brush, spread the mixture over the top of the figs and dough. Bake for about 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and drizzle with more honey and sprigs of rosemary. Serve warm.
NOTE: You can also substitute dried figs that have been rehydrated by simmering them for 15 minutes in 1 cup (8 ounces/240 milliliters) of white wine or white grape juice.
MAKES 2 PIZZAS; EACH SERVES 6
REGION: Throughout Italy
One day in Rome while researching this book, I got the idea to interview a hundred random Italians. I wanted a man-in-the-street sort of viewpoint on Italian sweets. So, with clipboard in hand, I stood in front of a bread shop popular with the locals and asked each person in line for their ten favorite Italian desserts. After the predictable favorites like cantucci, panettone, and tiramisù, I’d hear, almost apologetically, “pizza bianca con Nutella”—plain baked pizza dough smeared with the popular chocolate-hazelnut spread.
You can buy frozen readymade pizza dough in the supermarket or even from your local pizza shop, but I hope you’ll try this terrific pizza dough recipe given to me by Margherita and Valeria Simili, identical septuagenarian twins, affectionately nicknamed Sorelli Simili, “similar sisters,” with a play on the meaning of their last name.
Follow their simple directions, and you’ll get a pizza crust that’s chewy and crisp, never leathery. This recipe makes two pizzas. Don’t need two dessert pizzas? After the dough has risen, freeze half. It keeps nicely for several weeks. Or cook one as a savory dinner pizza, topped with your favorite fixings. Dinner and dessert with one recipe. Sweet.
facendo scendere
la farina.
TO SIFT FLOUR.
(TO ANALYZE.)
Bread flour (see Note) 3½ cups (17 ounces/480 grams)
Active dry yeast 2¼ teaspoons (1 envelope)
Room temperature bottled spring or filtered water 1 cup (8 fluid ounces/240 milliliters)
Olive oil 4 tablespoons
Salt 1½ teaspoons
Semolina flour or coarse-ground cornmeal for the pans
Nutella or other crema gianduia spread
On a work surface or in a very large bowl, put the bread flour in a pile and make a well in the center. Put the yeast and ½ cup (4 fluid ounces/120 milliliters) of the water in the center of the well; stir and let rest until the yeast bubbles, about 3 minutes. Incorporate a little of the flour into the liquid to form a paste. Add the oil and salt and, taking a little flour at a time, gradually incorporate the flour and remaining water, until you’ve incorporated all the water. You might have a little flour left over; leave it on the side. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. Roll into a ball, put into a lightly oiled deep bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, lightly dust two flat baking sheets or two flat baking pans about 12 by 16 inches (30.5 by 40.5 centimeters) with semolina flour.
Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) and set two racks in the lower third of the oven. (If you have a pizza stone or pizza baking tiles, preheat them in the lower third of the oven. But no worries if you don’t have special equipment.)
Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion into a ball. Cover one ball with a damp cotton dishcloth as you work with the other ball.
Put the dough on a lightly floured surface, preferably a large wooden cutting board. The idea is to shape the ball into a thin round by pressing from the center out with your palms and then your fingertips at first. Then, holding the dough in place in the center with your palm, gently stretch the sides out and press them down with your other palm until you have a large, ½-inch- (12-millimeter) thick disk. Put the dough on one of the prepared baking sheets, brush with oil, pierce it all over with a fork, and immediately put the pan in the oven (or slide the dough onto the pizza stone) so it can bake while you work on the second ball of dough. Bake for about 8 minutes, then turn the pan 180 degrees so the pizza cooks evenly and bake it for another 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Repeat with the other dough ball.
Let the pizzas cool slightly, then spread generously with Nutella. Serve immediately.
NOTE: If you prefer a flatter, crisper crust, use cake flour.
Che mondo sarebbe senza Nutella?—“What would the world be like without Nutella?”—may be Italy’s most famous ad slogan. Gigi Padovani, famed Italian journalist and author of several books, including one on Nutella, notes, “Italians go crazy for Nutella because it reminds them of their childhood. Still today in Italy, every mom and grandmother who serves it to their children and grandchildren can’t help but recall that first time they themselves enjoyed it for breakfast.”
Nutella, a creamy hazelnut and chocolate spread, is not only immensely popular in Italy, but is also one of the country’s best-known exports, sold in seventy-five countries worldwide. The product as we know it today was launched in 1964, but its roots are older. It was invented in the 1940s as a reaction to chocolate shortages resulting from World War II.
Initially called supercrema gianduia but rechristened in 1964, Nutella was created in Piedmont by Pietro Ferrero, pastry chef and founder of the Ferrero company. Beginning with gianduia, the popular mixture of finely ground hazelnut butter and chocolate, he added yet more hazelnuts to create a super-soft spreadable version of the treat. It’s been a staple ever since.
