Common in South Tyrol, Trentino, and neighboring areas of Austria, the Schwarzplententorte is the traditional buckwheat cake with cranberry jam, a typical cake that you will find in almost every pastry shop in these areas and often made at home according to ancient family recipes. The original South Tyrolean buckwheat cake recipe calls for the use of buckwheat flour, mixed with almond flour—or, in some variations, hazelnut flour—making it naturally gluten-free and therefore perfect for those who are celiac.
The generous presence of butter gives this dessert a soft and surprisingly delicate texture, despite its rustic appearance. The cranberry jam, a common ingredient in Trentino-Alto Adige but now available everywhere, pairs perfectly with the bold flavor of buckwheat, softening it with a fruity and slightly tart note. The result is a soft, genuine, and very fragrant cake, capable of winning over even those who do not yet know this great classic of alpine tradition.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Trentino-Alto Adige
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 417.75 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 46.35 (g) of which sugars 30.05 (g)
- Proteins 8.23 (g)
- Fat 22.74 (g) of which saturated 9.07 (g)of which unsaturated 5.81 (g)
- Fibers 3.28 (g)
- Sodium 108.47 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for a 8-inch diameter buckwheat cake
As mentioned, this traditional South Tyrolean recipe is naturally gluten-free. However, if you are celiac, ensure that these ingredients are labeled “gluten-free” to avoid any contamination: buckwheat flour, baking powder, vanilla, powdered sugar.
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
- 3/4 cup blanched almonds (or hazelnuts)
- 1/3 cup butter (soft)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 packet vanilla
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (grated)
- 2/3 cup cranberry jam (approximately)
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Food Processor
- 2 Bowls
- Electric Whisk
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Cake Pan 8-inch diameter
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Knife long serrated
- 1 Sieve
How to Prepare the Typical Buckwheat and Cranberry Jam Cake from Trentino-Alto Adige
To prepare the buckwheat cake, start by finely chopping the almonds in a food processor, along with half a tablespoon of sugar taken from the total. Set aside. Soften the butter in pieces at room temperature; to speed up the process, you can place it in the oven when turned off but with the light on for 10-15 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl and add the sugar (1). Work it with the electric whisk until you get a creamy mixture (2). Separate the egg whites from the yolks: the whites should be placed in another bowl, while the yolks should be added to the mixture one at a time (3).
Incorporate the first yolk with the electric whisk before adding the second, and do the same before adding the third (4). When you have well blended the yolks, add the dry ingredients: the buckwheat flour, the finely ground almonds, baking powder, vanilla, and grated lemon zest (5). With a wooden spoon or spatula, mix everything well until you form a rather dense mixture (6).
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they are fluffy and foamy (7). Use clean and dry electric whisks, otherwise they won’t whip well. To check if they are whipped correctly, turn the bowl upside down: they should stick, without slipping or moving. Now, add them little by little to the cake mixture (8), using a spatula, and with slow movements from bottom to top to avoid deflating them (9).
At first, you may have some difficulty because the buckwheat mixture is quite thick, but as you add more egg whites, it will become easier. In the end, you will get a homogeneous and still fairly thick mixture (10). Line an 8-inch diameter cake pan with parchment paper. If you want to use a different size, follow this guide that will help you recalculate the doses according to the size of your cake pan. Pour in the mixture, leveling it well with the spatula (11). Bake the buckwheat cake in the preheated oven at 340°F (static) for 40-45 minutes. Before removing it from the oven, check the cooking by piercing it with a skewer, which should come out perfectly dry. Remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the mold (12).
When the cake is completely cold, you can fill it: with a long serrated knife (like those used for bread), cut it in half (13). Fill it with plenty of cranberry jam (14) and close it. Sprinkle it with powdered sugar as desired (15).
Serve the buckwheat and cranberry jam cake as a dessert or for a snack, perhaps accompanied by a good cup of tea.
Storage
The buckwheat cake stays soft for 4 to 5 days at room temperature, under a glass dome or in a cake container.
Tips and Variations
Some typical variations of this South Tyrolean cake include using hazelnuts to replace all or part of the almonds. In pastry shops, you often find this cake decorated, rather than with powdered sugar, with a layer of cranberry jam on the surface as well.
