5.0 from 3 votes
Traditional Panforte of Siena
This traditional sweet and spice-filled cake from Siena is the perfect way to get in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy this simple recipe with an incredibly rich flavor that I learned years ago when visiting the city of the Palio horse race in the heart of Tuscany.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 403 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Italian
Ingredients
- 350 grams sweet almonds with skin
- 150 grams all-purpose flour
- 160 grams candied orange peel
- 140 grams candied citron
- 150 grams powdered sugar + several Tbsp for baking and decoration
- 150 grams wildflower honey
- 3 Tbsp water
- 5 grams coriander powder
- 3 grams ground mace
- 1 gram ground cloves
- 1 gram ground nutmeg
- 1 sheet of wafer paper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
- When the oven is at temperature, toast the almonds in the oven on a sheet pan for about 5 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set them aside to cool.
- Lightly grease a 8 in (20 cm) shallow round cake pan with butter and then line it with parchment paper. Now cut the wafer sheet to fit into a circle that fits into the bottom of the cake pan and insert over the parchment paper. If you don’t have a wafer sheet, you can just use parchment paper.
- Chop the candied orange and citron into small pieces.
- In a medium bowl, add the toasted almonds, the flour, the candied orange and citron pieces and all the spices and stir together.
- In a small saucepan, add the water, honey and sugar and stir over low heat as they melt to form a uniform syrup. Do not let boil, the mixture should just be heated enough to form a sort of liquid syrup.
- Now pour the syrup into the bowl with the almonds and all the other ingredients and quickly stir until combined.
- Put the mixture immediately into the cake pan you have prepared and level with the back of a spoon until compact and even.
- Sprinkle the top with an abundant amount of powdered sugar using a fine mesh strainer.
- Turn the oven up to 350° F (180° C) and bake in a static oven on the middle rack for approximately 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing the entire cake from the cake pan and setting aside to cool on a wire rack for at least 3 hours.
- When cooled completely, remove the parchment paper.
- Sprinkle again with lots of powdered sugar, slice and serve.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Serving
100g
Calories
403kcal
(20%)
Carbohydrates
72g
(24%)
Protein
9g
(18%)
Fat
18g
(28%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
4g
Monounsaturated Fat
11g
Trans Fat
0.01g
Sodium
32mg
(1%)
Potassium
306mg
(9%)
Fiber
6g
(24%)
Sugar
38g
(76%)
Vitamin A
9IU
(0%)
Vitamin C
0.2mg
(0%)
Calcium
108mg
(11%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 10slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 403
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 100g | |
| Calories | 403kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 72g | 24% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 18g | 28% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 11g | 55% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Sodium | 32mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 306mg | 7% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 38g | 76% |
| Vitamin A | 9IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0.2mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 108mg | 11% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.