Tuscan Berlingozzo is a cake that dates back to around the 15th century and has been reproduced the same way since then, although sometimes you find slightly different versions.
More specifically, it is a typical cake from Lamporecchio, a small town in the Prato area, and later it also spread as a dessert in Umbria.
Traditionally, this cake is used to celebrate the last Fat Thursday of Carnival, but currently, you can also find it throughout the year in various local pastry shops and bakeries.
I discovered this cake by chance and I must say it’s really good, although in the photo you can see a crack on the surface due to a bit of extra flour, but by following the recipe’s quantities, you will see it won’t happen to you as it did to me!!!
So let’s make the Carnival Berlingozzo for our kids!!
Approx. 520 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Tuscany
- Seasonality: Winter, Carnival
Ingredients for making Tuscan Berlingozzo
- 2 Medium eggs
- 2 Egg yolks
- 7 oz Sugar
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1.7 fl oz Anise liqueur (or mix anise seeds with 1.7 fl oz of vin santo)
- Grated zest of 2 oranges
- 3 fl oz Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1 oz Sugar crystals
- as needed Colored sugar sprinkles
- 1.4 oz Dark chocolate chips (optional)
Tools
- 1 Bundt cake pan Ring mold
Preparation of Tuscan Berlingozzo
In the cake mixer, put the eggs and yolks with the sugar and start the beaters to mix; meanwhile, add the extra virgin olive oil slowly while continuing to mix.
Mix at a not very high speed and add the orange zest (previously wash the oranges), gradually add the flour taking care to let it be absorbed slowly by the mixture.
Add the pinch of salt and the anise liqueur completing the dough with all the flour provided.
Once you have obtained a well-mixed dough and all the ingredients have been absorbed, grease and flour a 10-11 inch bundt cake pan and pour in the batter obtained.
Decorate with white sugar crystals, colored sprinkles, and chocolate chips (I added these, but they are not expected) and bake in a preheated static oven at 320°F for 40 minutes checking the cooking.
