The gubana is a typical dessert for major festive periods such as Christmas, Easter, Weddings, and village festivals in the Natisone valleys (Udine), made from sweet leavened dough.
Originally a local dessert, it spread throughout Friuli and all year round.
I recommend making it at least once to see for yourself how good it is and the impression it can make on your table.
This dessert has ancient origins, dating back to around 1400, when it was first served at a banquet for the visit of Pope Gregory XII.
The name is believed to come from the Slovenian word Guba, meaning fold, thus the name gubana.
The cake stays soft for days, so you can prepare it 2-3 days before Christmas.
Follow my recipe and also look at the photos that can help you in making it, and you’ll see how satisfying it is!
360 Kcal per person
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Expensive
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10 people
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, All seasons
Ingredients for the gubana
- 2 1/4 cups Flour 0
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Honey
- 1 Egg
- 1 Yolk
- 3 tbsp Whole milk
- 2 tsp Yeast of
- 1 cup Walnut kernels
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 3/4 oz Dry biscuits
- 1 3/8 oz Amaretti
- Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 espresso cup Grappa
- 1 tsp Vanilla (liquid)
- to taste Ground cinnamon
- 1 Egg white
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Preparation of the gubana
Preparation of the dough
In the mixer or stand mixer, put the yeast dissolved in warm milk, add the sugar, the egg, the yolk, and 1 cup of flour.
Work the dough well, then add the honey, the milk, the softened butter, and the remaining cup of flour.
Work everything well until you get a well-mixed dough.
At this point, place the obtained dough in a large bowl and let it rise for about 3 hours or until doubled.
Preparation of the filling
Chop the dry biscuits, walnuts, and amaretti, pour the chopped mixture into a container, and add the cinnamon, grated lemon, sugar, vanilla, and grappa, and mix well.
The mixture should be quite moist, and if it is not, add more liquor.
This mixture should be prepared at least a day before and left to rest in the fridge to let it flavor well.
Completing the cake
Roll out the dough into a rectangle of 8 x 12 inches or slightly more if it is too small, the dough will obviously be thicker.
Pour the filling mixture over all the dough and roll it….
like you do with strudel, or twist it on itself as I did and lengthen the roll to 28/32 inches in length.
Take the right end and fold it inside, then roll it onto itself into a spiral, then the other end will go under the cake.
Place the gubana in a greased and floured mold or lined with parchment paper with a diameter of 9/10 inches and let rise until doubled.
Once risen, brush the surface with beaten egg white and then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in a preheated oven at 320°F for about 1 hour.
Do not serve hot.
