Pat recently wrote saying she had lost her Italian confermation cake recipe and asked if I had one; I replied that I didn't know of any specific recipe -- these sorts of things tend to be local or regional, rather than national.

Pat wrote back saying she has found the recipe, and is sharing it with us. Turns out I had heard of it; Buccellato is a Tuscan cake. However, I was unaware of the Communion connection -- in older cookbooks it's mentioned as an ideal cake for the srping (and by extension Easter), because some recipes call for many eggs, whose production was seasonal in the days before chicken farms. The word buccellato means shot through with holes, and refers to the texture of the cake.

• 3 cups flour + flour for baking pan
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• salt.
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 8 tablespoons butter
• Grated peel of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup milk

Use 9x2 inch round cake pan

Preheat oven to 350 (175 C)

Combine flour, baking powder and pinch of salt. Break eggs into food processor bowl. Add sugar and run metal blade till eggs swell and are pale yellow. Melt butter over low heat. Add flour and baking powder mixture to processor bowl and mix. thoroughly. Add melted butter, grated lemon rind, lemon juice and mix. With blade running slowly add milk.

Smear inside of baking pan liberally with butter, sprinkle flour and shake off excess. Pour batter (runny consistency) into pan. Bake in middle of preheated oven for 50 minutes or till top is deep golden.

Jean Loudenslagle (Phoenix, Arizona)

Recipe courtesy of and © Jean Loudenslagle.

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