Rustic Cake “Miascia” is a Lake Como traditional recipe. This bread-based rustic cake is a common offering in a Lake Como bed and breakfast, , that serves the old specialties of the region. Miascia is the favored way for locals to use leftover bread. The flavour of the ‘Torta di Pane’ reminds me my childhood and maybe this is also why I really enjoyed it. I hope you will like it too.
Rustic Cake Ingredients:
1-pound loaf of French or Italian bread, firm or slightly stale, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 quart milk
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa powder, sifted after measuring
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup (about 4 ounces) whole almonds, skinned or not, finely ground in the food processor
2 cups (about 10 ounces) dark raisins
Whole blanched almonds and pine nuts for topping the cake before baking
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 180 degrees.
Place the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and scatter over the lemon zest. Bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat and pour over the bread to cover it entirely. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes so that the bread absorbs the milk completely.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until they are broken up and whisk in the sugar in a stream. Whisk in the cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, and vanilla. Stir in the soaked bread mixture and then stir in the ground almonds and raisins.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Decorate with the almonds pine nuts in a symmetrical pattern. Dot the top of the batter with the butter.
Place the pan in the oven and immediately lower the heat to 180 degrees. Bake the cake for about an hour, or until it is deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the center emerges dry.
Cool the Rustic Cake in the pan on a rack.
Invert the cake to the rack and remove the pan and paper. Place platter on the cake and invert onto the rack, firmly grasping both the rack and the platter to keep the cake from sliding out. Remove the rack.
Enjoy Cake !!!!
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