Nuns’ Cake is an ancient dessert without flour and yeast, made in a few minutes with very few ingredients. The recipe is very easy, very similar to the flourless ricotta cake with the addition of chopped almonds, a perfect dessert at any time of the day, ideal as an after-meal paired with an almond liqueur.
Its history is truly special, legend has it that it was created in the 1300s at the Convent of Santa Chiara, near Siena. Here, the nuns made simple cakes with flour, eggs, sugar, and butter, but one nun in particular felt very ill every time she ate a slice. One day, a fellow nun gathered almonds, thought to grind them into flour, and used them to replace the classic wheat flour; she made a cake with beaten eggs, ricotta, sugar, and almond flour. This gluten-free cake was also tolerated by the sister who probably had celiac disease.
I had already tasted the nuns’ cake and liked it very much, the preparation is very quick, and the cooking does not require particular attention. I flavored it with vanilla and lemon, but you can create your own variant and use the aromas and spices you prefer.
Here are other ricotta-based desserts:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 311.95 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 26.92 (g) of which sugars 24.68 (g)
- Proteins 10.42 (g)
- Fat 17.23 (g) of which saturated 3.46 (g)of which unsaturated 2.38 (g)
- Fibers 2.56 (g)
- Sodium 134.30 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 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
Having little ricotta, I made a small cake; you can double the doses and use a rectangular mold since the traditional recipe involves serving it in squares.
- 8.8 oz ricotta (drained cow's milk ricotta)
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 4.4 oz sugar
- 4.6 oz almond flour
- 1 tsp lemon zest (grated)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp liqueur (optional, I used Stravecchio)
- as needed powdered sugar (for finishing)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Electric Whisk
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Cake Pan 8 inches
- 1 Seive
Procedure
Sift the ricotta and store it in the fridge; use a firm and compact store-bought ricotta or let it drain overnight in the fridge.
Crack the eggs into a bowl, add the sugar, and beat them with whisks until they become light and frothy.
Add the sifted ricotta, combining it into the mixture from bottom to top, trying not to deflate it.
Add the almond flour, lemon zest, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and the liqueur, mixing gently with a spatula.
The mixture is ready; it should be soft and creamy.
Pour the mixture into the buttered and floured mold, leveling it gently.
Bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 338°F for about 35-40 minutes. The surface should be well golden.
Use a toothpick test to check for doneness.
Nuns’ Cake is ready; remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before removing from the pan. Place it on a plate, sprinkle with plenty of powdered sugar, and serve.
Tips
The Nuns’ Cake keeps in the fridge for 3/4 days, but I assure you it will be gone much sooner!
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