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Pandolce genovese
Pandolce basso: Genoa's dense Christmas cake with raisins, pine nuts and fennel seed
No Genoese Christmas table is complete without a round, domed pandolce, traditionally topped with a sprig of bay and cut by the youngest at the table while the eldest serves. The low, quick version made here, pandolce basso, is raised with baking powder rather than days of yeast, so it bakes into a crumbly, buttery cake between shortbread and fruit loaf. Raisins, pine nuts, candied orange and a scattering of fennel seed give each bite a sweet, faintly aniseed taste, and orange flower water perfumes it. Chef's tip: keep it wrapped for two days before cutting; the crumb softens and the fennel and orange flavours deepen.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the cake
To decorate
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (6)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Cover 5 ½ oz raisins with warm water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a baking tray.
15 minStep 2: Mix 14 oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 5 ½ oz caster sugar and ¼ tsp salt in a bowl. Rub in 5 ½ oz butter with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
Step 3: Beat 1 egg with ¼ cup whole milk and 1 tbsp orange flower water and stir it into the flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 4: Work in the raisins, 2 ⅛ oz pine nuts, 2 ⅞ oz candied orange peel, 2 tsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp lemon zest with your hands until evenly spread. Common mistake: kneading like bread; overworked dough bakes tough, so mix only until the fruit is in.
Step 5: Shape into a round loaf about 18 cm wide and 5 cm high. Cut a shallow triangle or cross on top with a knife.
Step 6: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer in the middle comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
50 minStep 7: Cool completely on a rack, push 1 bay leaf sprig into the top if you like, then wrap well and keep for up to a week.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pandolce genovese take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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