Ciambella recipe

As I promised here it is…. the ciambella recipe!!!

Ciambella MUST have a hole in the middle. You cannot say it’s ciambella if it doesn’t have that hole!

Ciambella is one of my favorite cakes because it’s very light and easy to prepare. As you read in my previous post, Italians love it and every region has a different traditional recipe for it. Ciambella is soft inside and it’s great for breakfast dipped into warm milk or in your caffè latte.

It’s perfect for any occasion. It’s nice even at the end of a meal, either with a glass of dessert wine or with the slices drizzled with zabaione or a fruit sauce.

In Italy we say: non tutte le ciambelle riescono col buco. It means you win some, you lose some. In other words, you cannot always succeed. But I’m sure that your ciambella will come out perfect.

Ingredients

220 gr (8 oz) of flour

100 gr (7 tbsp) of sugar

2 eggs (3 if they are very small)

100 gr (3-1/2 oz) of melted butter

2-3 tsp baking powder or 1/2 Lievito Bertolini per dolci

lemon peel

a pinch of salt

milk

8-10 raisin and/or chopped almonds

Granella di zucchero or confectioner’s sugar (for decorating the cake)

Preparation

In a bowl mix all the ingredients with the softened butter and enough milk to make a glue-like mixture. I usually put 8-10 raisins  but you can add some almonds if you like them. Baste the baking pan and dust it with flour. Alternatively, you can use the baking paper. Baste and dust with flour a glass and put it at the center of the pan. You can easily find ring molds (in the picture) for this kind of cake in kitchen specialty stores. Pour the batter into the pan, using a spatula to get the last of it. Cook for about 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) or until done. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly. Remove the glass. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar or granella di zucchero before serving. Then cover it with a cloth to keep her soft.