CIARAMICOLA, traditional Easter cake originating from Umbria, particularly from the city of Perugia. Its main feature is the ring shape, usually associated with a sugar or chocolate decoration.
The Ciaramicola is a delicacy made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and yeast. Its soft texture and sweet taste make it a perfect cake for Easter, but also for other special occasions. It is easy to prepare and requires only a few ingredients.
The Ciaramicola is a cake whose origin dates back to the Middle Ages when monks prepared it to celebrate Easter. Today it is one of the most famous delicacies in Umbrian and Italian cuisine.
Alchermes is used to color it red; I used beetroot, the red color being a symbol of Christ’s passion. This ring cake is an ancient dessert whose name derives from the term ciara, meaning egg white, the egg white used to make the glaze, symbolizing resurrection, and red and white are the colors of the city of Perugia.
Join me in the kitchen, today we have ciaramicola.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6-8
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 glass alchermes (or 1 beetroot)
- 1/2 packet baking powder
- 1 egg white
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Steps
Not having alchermes, I used pre-cooked and blended beetroot.
Work the eggs with sugar until doubled in volume, then add the flour with the baking powder alternating with the oil and alchermes or beetroot to color the cake red.
Add the juice and zest of a medium lemon and, if needed, add some milk if the dough is too stiff. Having used beetroot, I added a bit of milk.
Pour the mixture into a 8-inch ring mold, bake in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes, and always do a toothpick test before removing from the oven.
Let it cool, then work the egg white with electric whisks, add the powdered sugar, and continue to work. Cover the cake and add colored sprinkles.
Bon appétit
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USEFUL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What are the main ingredients of Ciaramicola? The main ingredients are flour, sugar, eggs, oil or lard or butter, alchermes, and baking powder.
How is Ciaramicola prepared? It is prepared like a simple sponge cake, working the eggs with sugar then adding flour and other ingredients. Once cooked and cooled, it is covered with a meringue and colored sprinkles.
What are the variations of Ciaramicola? The cake can also be prepared with almonds inside.
What kind of decoration can be added to Ciaramicola? You can add chocolate chips as it’s an Easter cake.
Ciaramicola Umbrian Easter Ring Cake
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Ciaramicola Umbrian Easter Ring Cake
A decidedly very good cake made with simple ingredients, fragrant, soft, and very delicious, ideal for breakfast or a snack.
