Teresa's Recipes
Certosino - Traditional Bolognese Christmas Cake
Behold the Certosino, a time-honored Italian Christmas cake hailing from the beautiful city of Bologna. This festive delight is an orchestra of flavors, featuring a medley of nuts, dried fruit, and aromatic spices. Each bite reveals the richness of dark chocolate and the sweetness of candied orange peel. The cake is baked to perfection and then draped in a glossy, silky chocolate glaze, creating a show-stopping dessert that's as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. This recipe carries with it centuries of Italian tradition, bringing a slice of Bologna's Christmas spirit into your home.
Ingredients
- 2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup Whole almonds
- 1/2 cup Pine nuts
- 1/2 cup Raisins
- 1/2 cup Candied orange peel
- 1/2 cup Dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup Butter, melted
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Dark rum
- 1 cup Chocolate glaze
Dietary Notes
- Servings: 12
- Dish Type: Dessert
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Calories: 400
- Fat: 20g
- Carbs: 55g
- Protein: 6g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Sugar: 35g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and generously grease a round cake pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Stir in the almonds, pine nuts, raisins, candied orange peel, and chopped dark chocolate.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, and rum until well combined.
- Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Ensure not to over-mix to maintain a tender crumb in the cake.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once completely cooled, pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
Tips
- For a more intense flavor, soak the raisins in rum overnight before adding them to the cake.
- The cake's flavors deepen after a day or two, making it a great dessert to prepare in advance.