Angelica Cake

The Torta Angelica is a leavened cake that comes from the Italian confectionery tradition, particularly loved for its softness and its elegant appearance given by its special shape. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 500 g of strong flour (manitoba)
• 120 g of sugar
• 130 g of lukewarm milk
• 100 g of soft butter
• 2 eggs
• 12 g of fresh yeast
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 100 g of soft butter
• 150 g of sugar
• 100 g of diced candied fruit
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preparation

1. Begin by dissolving the yeast in the lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar and let it rest for a few minutes.
2. In a large bowl, place the sifted flour and make a well in the center, where you will add the eggs, the remaining sugar, the mixture of yeast and milk, the grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
3. Start kneading, gradually incorporating the soft butter, until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough that detaches from the sides of the bowl.
4. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume, about 2 hours.
5. After rising, roll out the dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
6. Spread the soft butter over the dough rectangle, sprinkle with sugar and distribute the diced candied fruit.
7. Roll up the dough on itself, starting from the long side, and cut the roll obtained in half lengthwise, leaving one of the ends intact.
8. Braid the two halves together, with the cut side facing up, to form a sort of braid.
9. With the braid, form a ring by joining the two ends and place it in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
10. Let it rise again for about 1 hour, then bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden.
11. Take the Angelica Cake out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Curiosity

The Torta Angelica gets its name from its appearance that resembles an angel and is often prepared during the holidays, especially for Christmas or Easter, where its circular shape symbolizes unity and perfection.