The Nuns’ Cake is an ancient pantry cake that is gluten-free and yeast-free, easy to make and irresistible.
It was created in the 1300s at the convent of Santa Chiara in Siena by a nun who, noticing a sister who felt ill when eating regular cakes, decided to prepare one without using flour, replacing it with almonds that were abundant in their garden, and using ricotta, eggs, and sugar, thus creating a simple and delicious gluten-free and yeast-free cake. Even today, this cake is prepared with these simple ingredients, taking care to whip the eggs and sugar well and for a long time (in the absence of yeast) and choosing good ricotta, which should be drained and perfectly sieved.
Read how to make the Nuns’ Cake with the easy recipe you can find below, as usual, right after the photo 😉
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 12
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 9 oz sugar
- 6 oz blanched almonds
- 16 oz ricotta
- lemon zest (grated from one lemon)
- powdered sugar (for decoration)
Preparation of the Nuns’ Cake
Drain the ricotta from its preservation liquid and sieve it.
Finely chop the blanched almonds in a mixer.
In a large bowl, with electric whisks, whip the eggs with the sugar and the grated zest of one lemon for a long time, until the mixture has tripled in volume.Add the ricotta, mixing with a spatula and gentle movements from the bottom upwards.
Then add the chopped almonds, always mixing with a spatula, gently and from the bottom upwards.
Butter and flour or line with parchment paper a 9 x 7 inch pan or a 9-inch diameter cake pan and pour in the prepared batter.Bake in a preheated static oven at 340°F for thirty-five to forty minutes (check the doneness with a toothpick): the result should be a low, moist, and well-golden cake.
Remove from the oven and let your Nuns’ Cake cool completely before decorating it with plenty of powdered sugar and serving it.
Notes
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