The Cremona Cake is a typical dessert from the tradition of my city and is present in the windows of almost all pastry shops. It is a dessert that wins you over with its simplicity and genuine taste. At the base is a crumbly pastry shell enriched with a layer of orange or apricot marmalade. The filling is soft and light and has a texture that reminds me a bit of the paradise cake. But what really makes it unmistakable are the marmalade diamonds traced on the surface above a generous dusting of powdered sugar; a detail that is not only decorative but also delicious. In short, what can I say? It is the perfect dessert to share with family, for a homemade snack, or as a Sunday dessert. A recipe that smells of tradition and brings to the table all the sweetness of the city from which it takes its name.

Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 1 Hour
Preparation time: 35 Minutes
Portions: 12Servings
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients for the Cremona Cake

If you don’t have almond flour, you can simply finely grind the same amount of blanched almonds.

3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 packet vanillin
1 1/2 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup almond flour
2 eggs (medium)
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp baking powder (1/2 packet)
1/3 cup orange marmalade (or apricot jam)
1/3 cup orange marmalade (or apricot jam)
powdered sugar (abundant)

Tools

1 Mixer
2 Bowls
Electric whisks
1 Spatula
1 Sieve fine mesh
1 Rolling pin
1 Cake pan diameter of 9.5/10 inches
1 Piping syringe

Preparation of the Cremona Cake

Put all the ingredients in a mixer and knead them quickly. Of course, you can also do this operation by hand.
Transfer the obtained mixture onto the pastry board and work it with your hands until it is smooth and compact. Shape a ball, wrap it in cling film, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Put the cornstarch and room temperature butter in a bowl and rub them with your fingers until they reach a sandy consistency.
Put the eggs with the sugar in a second bowl and beat them for a long time with electric whisks until a light and frothy mixture is obtained.
Combine the sandy flour and butter mix, then also add the almond flour and incorporate everything perfectly by mixing with a spatula.
Finally, add the baking powder by sifting it through a fine mesh sieve. Mix well until a creamy mixture is obtained.
Take the shortcrust pastry and roll it out with a rolling pin on a sheet of parchment paper, trying to form a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
Transfer the pastry disk into a pan with a diameter of 9.5/10 inches keeping it supported on the parchment paper and also covering the entire edge.
Spread 1/3 cup of marmalade on the bottom. I used orange because it is my favorite, but apricot is also perfect.
At this point, pour the creamy mixture into the pastry shell and level it.
Dust with plenty of powdered sugar and trace diamonds on the surface with the help of a dough scraper or a knife.
Bake the Cremona Cake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 60 minutes.
In the meantime, strain the remaining marmalade to remove any pieces and transfer it to a syringe or piping bag.
After the baking time, remove the Cremona Cake from the oven and, with the syringe, trace marmalade rhombuses following the previously marked lines.
Put it back in the oven for another 5 minutes, then take it out and let it cool completely before removing it from the mold and transferring it to the serving plate. Enjoy! Paola
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