The country cake is one of the most beloved desserts of the Lombard tradition, particularly in Brianza, where it has been prepared for generations during village festivals and late summer fairs. It is also known as bread cake because it originates from the idea of not wasting anything: stale bread, instead of being thrown away, was soaked in milk and transformed into a rich and substantial cake, enriched with cocoa, amaretti, raisins, and pine nuts.
This cake is not just a dessert but a real dive into memories: every bite tells of the simple and genuine cooking of the past, when desserts were made with what was available at home. Its texture is soft and compact, almost creamy, with an irresistible aroma of cocoa and amaretti.
Today, the country cake continues to be prepared in homes and pastry shops in Brianza, but it has also become famous in other parts of Italy for its rustic and timeless goodness. Perfect as a Sunday dessert, for a tasty snack, or to bring to the table during celebrations, it is a dessert that captivates both adults and children.
This recipe was given to me years ago by Mrs. Nilde, a very sweet grandmother whom I will always hold dear in my heart.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 12 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Fall
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz stale bread (Softened for at least 2 hours in milk)
- 4.2 cups milk
- 2 eggs (at room temperature)
- 4.2 oz crushed amaretti
- 4.2 oz sugar
- 1.8 oz unsweetened cocoa (sifted)
- 2.5 oz raisins (previously softened with a cup of warm milk)
- 1.8 oz pine nuts (leave some aside for the final decoration)
Tools
- Bowls
- Spatulas
- Chopper
- Sieve
Preparation of the country cake
Two hours before preparing the cake, cut the bread into pieces and place it in a large bowl, add the milk, cover, and let it rest for a couple of hours.
Meanwhile:
– weigh all the ingredients you will need for the cake preparation;
– crush the amaretti, use a chopper or place the amaretti in a food bag, close it well and crush them with a meat mallet or rolling pin;
– soak the raisins with the cup of warm milk;
After the resting time, take the bowl with the bread and milk, add the rest of the ingredients one at a time (wait for each added ingredient to be absorbed before adding the next). Start with the sifted cocoa, mix everything well with a spatula, incorporate the eggs one at a time, the sugar, the pine nuts, the crushed amaretti, and the drained raisins.
Preheat the oven to 356°F in static mode.
Pour the batter into a 11-inch diameter mold, greased with a bit of butter and floured (I used cocoa). Level the cake well and sprinkle the surface with the pine nuts set aside.
Bake for 60 minutes.
Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool well and then… enjoy it!
Storage
This cake, being a moist cake, can be stored at room temperature for a maximum of 3 days covered with foil or plastic wrap.
In the refrigerator: you can store it for up to 5 days, wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.
Advice
The country cake pairs well with a glass of good Passito.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How to know when it’s cooked?
It should be compact but not dry. I recommend doing the toothpick test: it should come out slightly moist, not dry like in other cakes.
