The more traditional recipes for this classic orangy Florentine Easter cake call for lard and require that one make a starter loaf with the yeast. This recipe, pried by my mother-in-law from Il Rossino, a pastry chef in Florence's Via Centostelle, does not, and is good enough to be eaten year round. It's tasty as is, and wonderful filled with whipped cream, crema pasticcera, or or chantilly.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups and 1 tablespoon (250 g) all purpose unbleached flour
- 1 cup less a tablespoon (200 g) sugar
- 4 tablespoons sunflower seed or corn oil
- 7 tablespoons warm milk
- 2 eggs
- The juice and zest of an orange
- A tablespoon of baking powder
- Confectioner's sugar
Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C).
Beat the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together except the confectioner's sugar; you will obtain a fairly liquid batter. Sift in the baking powder and pour the batter into an 8 by 12-inch pan.
Bake the schiacciata for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Once the schiacciata has cooled, remove it from the pan and dust it well with the confectioner's sugar (make sure the schiacciata is cool, or the sugar will take on a bitter taste).
Note: Schiacciata alla fiorentina is an ideal cake for stuffing, either with a generous layer of lightly sweetened whipped cream, or with crema pasticcera or Crema Chantilly. In either case, slice the cake open as if it were a book, spread a layer of filling over the bottom half, and replace the upper half.
Beat the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together except the confectioner's sugar; you will obtain a fairly liquid batter. Sift in the baking powder and pour the batter into an 8 by 12-inch pan.
Bake the schiacciata for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. Once the schiacciata has cooled, remove it from the pan and dust it well with the confectioner's sugar (make sure the schiacciata is cool, or the sugar will take on a bitter taste).
Note: Schiacciata alla fiorentina is an ideal cake for stuffing, either with a generous layer of lightly sweetened whipped cream, or with crema pasticcera or Crema Chantilly. In either case, slice the cake open as if it were a book, spread a layer of filling over the bottom half, and replace the upper half.
