A Soft and Scented Carnival Cake from Florence: La Schiacciata Dolce

This Schiacciata Dolce, called Schiacciata Fiorentina, is a typical cake from Florence. It is very popular and appreciated during the Carnival season. In Italy, Carnival is celebrated all over the Peninsula, from the big cities to the small villages, organizing  parades and masquerade balls in a cheerful and carefree atmosphere. This period culminates in the Mardi Gras, baking as much as possible before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. You then have one more day to eat as much as you want, so let’s go and bake our Schiacciata Fiorentina!

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RECIPE

WHITE RAGU’

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INGREDIENTS

• 200 g (2 cups) Cake/Pastry – 00 flour
• 130 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp + 1 tsp) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 50 ml (3tbsp + 1 tsp) whole milk
• 50 ml (3tbsp + 1 tsp) extra virgin olive oil
• a pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise and seeds scraped
• 1 organic orange juice + zest
• 15 g (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 1-2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

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METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180°C (350 °F).
• Place the sugar and the eggs in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
• Slowly add the milk and the oil, and beat for one minute. Then add the orange juice and the orange zest, and beat for another minute.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder, the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Then add to the egg mixture a little at a time, mixing until obtaining an even mixture.
• Grease and flour a 24×24 cm cake tin (or line the tin with parchment paper) and then pour the batter into it. Bake the cake for about 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, using the static oven function.
• Let the cake cool down in the oven switched off for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the tin. Let it cool completely and then dust it with icing sugar.
• Create a Florentine lily stencil, put it on the cake and sprinkle cocoa powder.