Italian Pine Nut Cake Recipes

PINOLATA, ITALIAN PINE NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and line a 22-24 cm round springform pan.
• Melt the butter and let it cool. Roughly chop the pine nuts.
• Squeeze the lemon, keep the juice aside. Grate the zest and add it to the sugar, massaging it into the sugar.
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites in 2 different bowls. Beat the egg yolks with the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar flavored with the lemon zest, the vanilla, and lemon juice and keep beating until all incorporated.
• Sift the flour and the baking powder. Add it to the batter by the spoonful, slowly and gently incorporating it.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff and add it slowly to the batter, incorporating it with circular movements from the bottom to the top.
• Lastly, add the chopped pine nuts and fold gently.
• Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and cook in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes. Every oven is different, so I would suggest to check the cake after 30 minutes and go from there. Check it, poking with a skewer the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, it's done.
• In the meantime, beat the egg white with the sugar. Set aside.
• Take the cake out of the oven, quickly but gently spread the egg white/sugar on top. Add the rest of the pine nuts and sprinkle some additional sugar on top. Put it back in the oven, turn on the broiler on low, and cook the top for about 1-2 minutes. Watch it as it may burn quickly.
• Take out of the oven and let cool on a rack.

ALMOND, PINE NUT, APRICOT CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.
• Combine the whole almonds and 1/4 cup pine nuts in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer beat the eggs and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. Add the butter, and milk. Stir in the almond extract and apricots. Gently stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds and remaining 1/4 cup pine nuts. Bake until the cake is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 55 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Use a knife to loosen the edges. Turn the cake out, slice, and serve.