Vera Torta di Imola (True Cake of Imola)
Submitted by: Monica Campagnoli / Bologna, Italy
Who passed this recipe down to you? My grandmother
Recipe origin: Imola, Bologna, Italy
How old is this recipe? The first mention dates back to 1730
The story behind the recipe:
Vera Torta (True Cake) is a typical dessert of the city of Imola, an area of Romagna culture located in Emilia and, more precisely, in the district of Bologna. It is an old-fashioned recipe, passed orally from family to family and now registered at the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.
The presence of sugar, candied fruit, and almonds in the cake indicates economic availability. It was a recipe for rich people and monasteries. The earliest memory of the True Cake of Imola dates back to 1730 and is in the register of expenses of the nuns of the convent of San Domenico in Imola.
The nuns prepared this cake on the occasion of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary. Between 1700 and 1800, it became the cake of all the main family events, which, at the time, were mainly baptisms and weddings. It explains why it is also known as the bride and groom’s cake, even if the origin of the name Vera Torta remains unknown. It is a delicious dessert, but the oral transmission of the cake has limited its spread. Each family in Imola has its own recipe.
Grandma used to make this cake for family events and it is full of happy memories. She passed the recipe orally, and for this reason, I decided to write it before forgetting.
Ingredients:
100g peeled almonds
70 g amaretti cookies
70 g candied citron
5 eggs
300g cow ricotta cheese
150g brown sugar
1 tablespoon bitter cocoa (my family's special ingredient)
Liqueurs mix for the surface:
50 g alchermes and 50 ml almond liqueur
Garnish with royal icing or powdered sugar
How to make it:
Pan: 25cm/10 inch diameter baking pan
Toast almonds in a pan for 2 minutes and chop (almost all finely, some not too finely). Set aside.
Finely chop the amaretti cookies and set them aside.
Cut the candied citron into small pieces and set aside.
Separate the yolks from the egg whites and whip the latter.
Mix the yolks with the sugar and ricotta. Add amaretti and cocoa and mix.
Also, combine almonds and candied citron.
Finally, add beaten egg whites.
Grease a large baking pan and pour the mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven at 340℉/170℃ for 60 to 80 minutes. After an hour, check and test with a wooden toothpick.
When the cake is still warm, brush it with the liqueur.
Let cool, and decorate with royal icing or powdered sugar.