Italian Recipes - Sicilian Nut and Chocolate Cake (Torta Siciliana alla Noce e Cioccolato) Recipe

  
 

Italian Desserts Recipes - Sicilian Nut and Chocolate Cake (Torta Siciliana alla Noce e Cioccolato) Recipe

Ingredients                                 

Pastry (paste):

  • 350 g/12 oz/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

  • 5 ml/1 tsp salt

  • 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

  • 45 ml/3 tbsp cold water

Chocolate sauce:

  • 50 g/2 oz plain (semi-sweet) chocolate

  • 120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup water

  • 100 g/4 oz/1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar

  • 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

  • 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract) 

Cake:

  • 150 g/5 oz/2/3 cup unsalted (sweet) butter

  • 150 g/5 oz/2/3 cup caster (superfine) sugar

  • 275 g/10 oz/2 1/2 cups self-raising (self rising) flour, sifted

  • 5 ml/1 tsp baking powder

  • 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp salt

  • 120 ml/4 fl oz/1/2 cup milk

  • 1 egg

  • 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)

  • 100 g/4 oz/1 cup chopped nuts

Method:

  1. Make the pastry. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to form a firm dough.

  2. Knead gently into a ball. Wrap the dough in greaseproof (waxed) paper. Chill for 15-20 minutes while the sauce is being made.

  3. Place the chocolate and water in a saucepan over a gentle heat. Stir until the chocolate has melted.

  4. Add the sugar, stirring constantly,  and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat at once, add the butter and vanilla and stir until well blended. Set aside to cool.

  5. Roll the pastry on a lightly floured board to fit a 23 cm/9 in pie dish. Line the dish with the pastry, letting it extend 2.5 cm/1 in beyond the rim.

  6. Turn the edge of the pastry under to make a high, fluted rim. Make the cake. Place the butter in a mixing bowl with the sugar and beat together until light and fluffy.

  7. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, milk, egg and vanilla essence and beat thoroughly. Transfer to the pastry-lined pie dish.

  8. Pour over the chocolate sauce and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 50-55 minutes.

  9. When the cake is cooked the sauce will form a layer between the cake and pie shell.