The CIARAMICOLA is a traditional Easter cake from Perugia, with an ancient history and a very cheerful and indulgent appearance — perfect for properly celebrating the festival of life and spring. The cake’s origin, as you can tell from the simplicity of the ingredients, is medieval, and even its colors carry allegorical meaning, as if it were a poem: the red of the batter recalls the Passion of Christ, while the snow-white meringue that covers the cake symbolizes the Resurrection, just as the little candy-coated sprinkles evoke all the districts of Perugia and the diadems of a royal crown.
What makes the ciaramicola special is the red color of this simple cake, produced by alchermes, which — together with the lemon zest — gives the batter an intense aroma and pairs wonderfully with the soft meringue topping. Don’t be deceived by the cake’s simplicity: aroma, texture and undeniable beauty make it a true highlight of our rich pastry tradition.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 8-10 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
- Energy 321.42 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 53.12 (g) of which sugars 35.81 (g)
- Proteins 5.18 (g)
- Fat 8.99 (g) of which saturated 5.35 (g)of which unsaturated 3.48 (g)
- Fibers 0.53 (g)
- Sodium 28.02 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 85 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
- 2 eggs (medium, at room temperature)
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- lemon zest
- 6 tbsp butter (melted)
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup alchermes (Italian red liqueur)
- 1 7/8 cups all-purpose flour (00 flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp red gel food coloring (in gel)
- 2 egg whites
- 1 tsp lemon juice (4 drops)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 9 tbsp powdered (confectioners') sugar
- colored sprinkles
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THE CIARAMICOLA
- 1 Bundt pan 8 in
- 2 Bowls
- Electric beaters
- 1 Sieve
CIARAMICOLA PREPARATION
First, melt the butter in a bain-marie or in the microwave and let it cool slightly.
In a bowl place the whole eggs and the two yolks, reserving the egg whites for the next step.
Beat the eggs with the granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy — this will take about 10 minutes. Add the butter in a thin stream, the milk at room temperature and the lemon zest.
Combine the liquids and add the alchermes and the food coloring to give the ciaramicola its vivid color.
Finally, add the sifted flour and baking powder.
Fold in the dry ingredients until the batter is smooth.
Butter and flour an 8-inch bundt pan, pour in the batter and level the surface.
Bake in a preheated, conventional oven at 338°F for 35 minutes. When 10 minutes remain in the baking time, prepare the meringue topping.
Place the reserved egg whites at room temperature in a bowl with the lemon juice and whisk with the beaters until they turn white.
Add the granulated sugar in two additions and continue whipping. Finally add the powdered sugar, also in two additions, folding in until you obtain a glossy, firm meringue.
When the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and, while still warm, unmold it and place it on a suitable oven-safe base (the base of a cake pan works well).
Cover the surface with the meringue and sprinkle with the colored sprinkles.
Return the ciaramicola to the oven at 212°F and bake for 25 minutes so that the outer layer of the meringue dries.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
