The Angelica cake is an Italian pastry delight whose popularity was amplified by the Simili sisters, known for their love of traditional cooking. Active since the 1970s, they made their recipes and cooking courses famous, rediscovering many leavened desserts. The Angelica cake is a sweet brioche, light and fluffy, filled with ingredients such as chocolate, dried fruit or jam, often prepared for parties and special occasions. Below you will find a personal version of the recipe:
Other leavened sweet recipes:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar (about 80 g / 2.8 oz)
- 12 g fresh baker's yeast (about 0.4 oz, or ~1¾ (7 g) packets of active dry yeast)
- 7.5 fl oz (about 7/8 cup / 220 ml) milk
- 6 tbsp (about 3/4 stick; ~80 g / 2.8 oz) butter (for the dough)
- 2 eggs
- 1 2/3 tsp salt
- vanilla extract
- zest of 1 orange
- 3 1/2 tbsp (about 50 g / 1.8 oz) soft butter (for the filling)
- 1/2 cup (packed; about 100 g / 3.5 oz) brown sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 cup (about 150 g / 5.3 oz) dark chocolate chips
Steps
Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Add the yeast dissolved in a little of the milk taken from the total, the sugar, the remaining milk, the eggs, the vanilla extract and the grated orange zest. Start mixing, then add the salt and incorporate the soft butter in small pieces.
Knead until you obtain a smooth, soft dough ball. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until it has doubled in volume.
Once risen, roll the dough out on a floured surface to form a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the softened butter (to a creamy consistency) evenly over the dough, sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon, and finally distribute the chocolate chips.
Roll up the dough from the longest side to form a cylinder. Cut it lengthwise down the middle and braid the two pieces, making sure the filling side faces up. Finally, shape the braid into a ring.
Place the cake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it rise for another hour. Transfer it to a preheated oven at 356°F and bake for about 30 minutes.
Serve the Angelica cake with chocolate chips dusted, if desired, with a little powdered sugar.
Bon appétit and.. see you at the next recipe!
If you try this recipe, be sure to tag #ipasticcinidinina on Instagram so I can see it and share it with the community.
