Rice Cake

Rice cake is a classic Italian dessert, with regional variations, especially in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Here I provide you with a basic recipe for Modena-style rice cake that you can customize as you like.

Ingredients

• 250 g of rice
• 1 liter of milk
• 1 lemon zest
• 1 vanilla pod or a pinch of vanillin
• 4 eggs
• 200 g of sugar
• 50 g of melted butter
• 100 g of candied fruit (orange or citron)
• 50 g of pine nuts (optional)
• A pinch of salt
• Icing sugar for decoration
• Brisée or shortcrust pastry (you can make it yourself or buy it ready-made)

Preparation

1. Boil the rice in slightly salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and let it cool.
2. In another small pot, heat the milk with the lemon zest and vanilla until it almost boils. Remove the lemon zest and vanilla pod.
3. Take the rice and mix it with the hot milk, cooking on low heat until the milk is almost completely absorbed. Remove from heat and add melted butter. Let cool.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar until you get a frothy and light mixture. Gently fold the cooled rice into the egg and sugar mixture.
5. Add the candied fruit and pine nuts to the batter and gently stir to distribute them evenly.
6. Prepare a 24 cm diameter springform pan by lining it with brisée or shortcrust pastry and prick it with a fork.
7. Pour the rice mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 180°C for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden.
8. Allow to cool completely before sprinkling with icing sugar.

Curiosity

Rice cake is often associated with religious holidays, especially Easter. In the Modena version of this cake, it is common to also find a bit of liqueur, such as Alchermes, which is added to the batter to give a more aromatic taste.

You can vary this recipe to adapt it to your tastes: some prefer to use only the grated zest of the lemon rather than whole, others add raisins previously soaked in water or liqueur. Explore and find your favorite version!