Nuns’ Cake : Sweet Secret of 18th Century Baking…
Nuns’ cake is an ancient cake without flour and yeast, it is prepared in a matter of minutes with very few ingredients. The recipe is very easy, very reminiscent of flourless ricotta cake with the addition of chopped almonds, a perfect dessert at any time of day, ideal as an end of the meal paired with a bitter almond liqueur.
Its history is very special, legend has it that it was born in 1300 in the Convent of Santa Chiara, near Siena. There the nuns prepared simple cakes made with flour, eggs, sugar and butter, but one nun in particular felt terrible every time she tasted a slice. One day a nun collected some almonds and thought to grind them and reduce them to flour to replace the classic wheat flour; she prepared a cake with whipped eggs, ricotta cheese, sugar and almond flour; this gluten-free cake was tolerated even by the nun, who was probably celiac.
Ingredients:
- 250g (9 oz) ricotta cheese, drained
- 3 medium eggs
- 125g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 130g (1 1/3 cups) ground almonds (almond flour)
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp liqueur of choice (I used brandy)
- Icing sugar (powdered sugar) for dusting
- Pinch of salt
How to make Nuns’ Cake:
- Sift the ricotta and store it in the refrigerator; use a firm, counter-top ricotta or let it drain overnight in the refrigerator.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar and whisk until light and fluffy.
- Add the sifted ricotta, stirring the mixture from the bottom up to try not to deflate it.
- Add the ground almonds (almond flour), lemon zest, vanilla, a pinch of salt and liqueur, stirring gently with a spatula.
- The mixture is ready; it should be soft and creamy.
- Pour the mixture into a buttered and floured baking tin, gently leveling the surface.
- Bake the cake in a preheated conventional oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 35 to 40 minutes. The surface should be nicely browned.
- Do a toothpick test to make sure it is cooked through.
- Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the tin.
- Place the cooled cake on a plate, dust generously with powdered sugar (icing sugar), and serve.
Bon Appétit!