20/11/2023, 13:58 Italian chocolate Christmas cake recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine

Italian chocolate Christmas cake

Recipe by Anna Glover

Panforte is a traditional Italian dessert, a sort of cross between a cake and

Recipe photograph by
Nassima Rothacker
a biscuit. Originating from Tuscany, it’s bursting with nuts, dried fruit and
spices – including lots of aromatic black pepper. With the help of a little
chocolate, I’ve transformed it into this indulgent fruit cake
SERVES: 14-16 PREP TIME: 50 MINS
TOTAL TIME: 2HRS 20 MINS PLUS COOLING
Nutritional information (per serving)

Calories Fat Saturates Carbs Sugars Fibre Protein Salt

407Kcal 25gr 10gr 37gr 30gr 2gr 8gr 0.5gr

Anna Glover
Anna is our former Creative Food Editor, and a cookery writer and food stylist.
She loves a challenge and is known for whipping up interesting flavour
combinations. She’s still in search of the best pizza in the world

Ingredients Step by step

GET AHEAD
200g soft unsalted
butter, plus extra for The cake will keep, well-wrapped and in an airtight
greasing container, for up to 1 month.

100g light soft brown

sugar 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan 140°C, gas 3. Grease and line the
base and sides of a 20cm springform tin. Beat the butter and
100g dark soft brown sugars together in a stand mixer with the ‘K’ attachment (or
sugar with an electric whisk) until well combined and fluffy abour 5
minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing between each, (if
4 large eggs
the batter starts to split add 1 tablespoon flour) then on a slow
100g self-raising flour setting fold in the flour, ground almonds, cocoa and baking
powder.
75g ground almonds

25g cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

200g sultanas

50g cut mixed peel

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20/11/2023, 13:58 Italian chocolate Christmas cake recipe | Sainsbury`s Magazine

50g blanched hazelnuts,
roughly chopped
50g blanched almonds,
roughly chopped
50g pistachios, roughly
chopped
100g dark chocolate,
roughly chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Add all the remaining ingredients, and using a spatula or
wooden spoon, mix everything together. Scrape into the
prepared tin, level the top, and bake for 1 hour 30-35 minutes or
until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. (Be
careful not to hit the pockets of melted chocolate as this will
look like raw cake batter, go in again if you’re unsure.)
TIP
Make it gluten-free: substitute gluten-free self-
raising flour, adding 1 teaspoon xanthan gum at the
same time.

¼ tsp ground cloves

Make it smaller: halve the ingredients (use 40g
1 tsp ground ginger ground almonds and 15g cocoa powder) and bake the
mixture in a deep 15cm round cake tin for 1hr 10
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
minutes.
½ tsp fine sea salt

½ tsp ground black

pepper

zest and juice of 1 large

orange

1 tsp vanilla extract

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