Buckwheat and Jam Cake

I can provide you with the recipe for the buckwheat cake with jam, a classic dessert from the Alpine regions, especially in Trentino-South Tyrol. It is a rustic cake with a distinctive flavor, thanks to the use of buckwheat and jam filling, usually raspberry or apricot.

Ingredients

• 250 g of buckwheat flour
• 100 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of butter at room temperature
• 150 g of sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 packet of baking powder
• Grated zest of one (untreated) lemon
• A pinch of salt
• 200 g of raspberry or apricot jam
• Icing sugar for decoration

Preparation

1. In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until you get a frothy mixture.
2. Separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well until fully incorporated. Save the egg whites for later.
3. Combine the sifted flours with the baking powder, pinch of salt, and grated lemon zest to the mixture of butter, sugar, and yolks. Mix until you obtain a uniform dough.
4. Whip the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the mixture, trying not to deflate them.
5. Pour half of the batter into a buttered and floured mold. Spread the jam over it, leaving a free edge of about 1 cm.
6. Pour the remaining batter over the jam, leveling it gently.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
8. Allow the cake to cool before unmolding it and dust with icing sugar.

Trivia

The buckwheat cake is often associated with village festivals and traditional events in the Trentino and South Tyrol valleys. In some variations, chopped hazelnuts are added to the recipe, which enrich the dough giving it an even richer and more distinctive flavor. When preparing this cake, you can also play with the jams, choosing your favorite one or creating original combinations.