The TAGLIATELLE CAKE or RICCIOLINA CAKE is a dessert from the Emilian tradition, particularly Ferrara. Simple to prepare and very indulgent, it consists of a shortcrust pastry base that encloses a soft almond filling flavored with amaretto liqueur (even better if made with bitter almond liqueur), all covered by a nest of tagliatelle or, better, tagliolini. Sweetness, crunchiness, aromas: it’s a true symphony for the palate.
It’s an ancient cake, which seems to have Renaissance origins. Legend has it that the tagliatelle placed as decoration on the cake are nothing more than a tribute to the famous blonde, curly hair of Lucrezia Borgia, lady of the Este Castle in Ferrara for almost two decades.
The version I propose comes from one of the many variants I encountered right in Ferrara and appreciated particularly. I know some will be scandalized because “their” cake is different, but that’s the beauty of popular tradition: every family keeps its treasure…
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 530.10 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 51.81 (g) of which sugars 26.94 (g)
- Proteins 11.17 (g)
- Fat 29.19 (g) of which saturated 9.36 (g)of which unsaturated 5.56 (g)
- Fibers 3.50 (g)
- Sodium 26.39 (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
- 1 2/3 cups 00 flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 7 tbsp butter (cold)
- 1 egg (medium at room temperature)
- 1 1/4 cups peeled almonds
- 2 tbsp candied orange
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 egg (medium at room temperature)
- 1 1/2 tsp amaretto (liqueur) (Sassolino or bitter almond liqueur)
- lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 oz fresh egg tagliolini
- 2 tsp butter
- 2.5 tsp powdered sugar
- 1 shot amaretto (liqueur)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- Plastic wrap
- 1 Tart pan 8 in
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Rolling pin
TAGLIATELLE CAKE PREPARATION
Place the flour and powdered sugar in a bowl. Mix them, make a well in the center and add the cold butter in pieces. Work quickly with your fingertips until you obtain a sandy mixture.
Add the egg and, still working quickly, incorporate it into the rest of the ingredients. Form a smooth, homogeneous dough, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Toast the almonds in a pan or in the oven. Let them cool and place them in the food processor. Pulse them coarsely (you can also chop them with a knife) and transfer to a bowl.
Add the chopped candied orange peel, lemon zest, sugar, vanilla extract, the egg and the liqueur.
Mix everything well and set aside.
Roll the shortcrust pastry to a thickness of about 1/6 inch. Line a 8-inch tart pan and trim the excess dough.
Add the almond mixture and level it. You should stay about 3/16 inch below the edge.
Cover with a nest of tagliolini so that the entire surface of the cake is covered by a layer of pasta. You can make fresh pasta yourself by mixing about 3/4 cup of flour with one egg.
Sprinkle with knobs of butter and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Bake the tagliatelle cake or ricciolina cake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 35 minutes or until the surface is lightly golden.
Once the tagliatelle cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. Once cold, to give it an extra touch of aroma, I recommend brushing it with a shot of liqueur.
VARIANT
If you do not have amaretto liqueur you can replace it with bitter almond liqueur, Strega or Sassolino.
TIPS
To fully enjoy the tagliatelle cake, I suggest letting it rest for one or two days before tasting. This way all the flavors will blend perfectly.
