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Torta di Grano Saraceno (Authentic Italian Buckwheat Cake)
Buckwheat cake is one of the most delicious and characteristic desserts of Trentino Alto Adige, a region in Northern Italy, where it's called "Schwarzplententorte".It's a simple and rustic cake with a special texture and unique taste.Traditionally, this cake is filled with currant or cranberry jam. The tart flavor of the red berry jam blends perfectly with the strong flavor of the buckwheat.
Ingredients
- 150 g buckwheat flour 1 ¼ cups
- 150 g granulated sugar ¾ cup
- 150 g hazelnuts 1 ½ cups, chopped
- 150 g unsalted butter ⅔ cup, at room temperature
- 3 eggs
- 1 apple
- 1 lemon
- 8 g baking powder 2 teaspoons
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- 250 g cranberry jam 1 cup (or raspberries, blueberries or currants)
- powdered sugar for decoration
Instructions
- separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add 50 g (¼ cup) of sugar to the egg whites.
- Whisk the egg whites until stiff and set aside.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with the remaining sugar (100 g - ½ cup) and the salt until fluffy.
- Add one egg yolk at a time, beating until smooth.
- Add the buckwheat flour and baking powder. Mix the flour well into the egg, butter and sugar mixture.
- At this point the mixture is quite thick and difficult to work with, which is normal. You can continue to mix with a spatula or spoon.
- Add the grated lemon zest, the grated apple and the chopped hazelnuts and mix it all together with a spatula.
- Add the beaten egg whites and gently incorporate with the spatula, taking care not to deflate them too much.
- Line a 22 cm (9 inch) pan with baking parchment. Pour the mixture into the pan and level it well.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (356°F) for about 45-50 minutes. Test always with a toothpick - it should come out completely dry - before removing the cake from the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool very well. Once cooled, cut it in half horizontally. Let's see how to do it.
- You should mark the circumference with the blade of a knife, as if to create a groove in which to insert the twine.
- Gently pull the crossed ends of the twine and you will have the two cake disks. This method helps you split the cake into two perfectly equal layers.
- Fill the surface of the bottom cake layer with plenty of currant or cranberry jam, then cover with the top cake layer. Finally dust with icing sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 100gCalories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 10gFat: 39gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 136mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 409mgFiber: 6gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 769IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 142mgIron: 3mg
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