Bread Cake

Bread cake is a traditional dish that varies according to Italian regions, but it represents an excellent way to reuse stale bread. Here is how to prepare a classic version of the bread cake:

Ingredients

• 300 g of stale bread
• 500 ml of milk
• 3 eggs
• 120 g of sugar
• 80 g of sultana raisins
• 1 apple
• 40 g of pine nuts
• 40 g of chopped walnuts
• 1 packet of vanillin or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
• 1 small glass of rum or other liqueur of your choice
• 1 lemon (grated zest)
• 30 g of butter
• powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Start by soaking the raisins in rum or in warm water for 30 minutes, so they rehydrate and plump up.
2. Meanwhile, cut the stale bread into cubes and soak it in milk for about an hour, or until it is well softened. If necessary, add more milk.
3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
4. Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanillin in a bowl until you get a frothy and light mixture.
5. Add the softened bread to the egg mixture, then include the well-drained raisins, grated lemon zest, pine nuts, chopped walnuts, and the peeled and chopped apple.
6. Mix all the ingredients well with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
7. Pour the mixture into a previously buttered pan and bake it for about 45-60 minutes or until the surface is golden brown and the cake is well cooked inside. You can check the doneness by inserting a skewer in the center: if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
8. Remove the bread cake from the oven and let it cool down before dusting it with powdered sugar.

This dish is an example of ‘cucina povera’, created to not waste leftover bread. Its simplicity and the possibility of adding ingredients depending on what is available in the pantry make it a flexible and always appreciated recipe. You can enhance it by adding chocolate pieces or substituting walnuts with other dried fruits you prefer.