Directions
Ciambella is one of the most famous Emilia Romagna’s dessert, a delicious, fluffy homemade cake, covered with powdered sugar or sugar grains, born to be soaked in red wine like Lambrusco or Sangiovese.
Later this kind of giant baked donut has become the typical breakfast cake, to be dipped in milk or coffee. But it’s delicious if you serve ciambella with some ice cream or English cream too.
But what is special about the Italian ciambella cake, which you can find in all Emilia Romagna region, albeit made with different ingredients and shapes?
Its simplicity and its soft dough are irresistible, not to mention that you can season it with rum or cocoa to make the classic double-face cake or with anise, cinnamon and candied orange peel.
So consider this basic ciambella recipe as a blank canvas, upon which you can unleash your imagination.
Ingredients for making the real Italian ciambella
- 300 grams of flour type 00
- 70 grams of butter
- 60 grams of sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 small glass of brandy (4 cl)
- 1 spoon of yeast
- zest of ½ organic lemon
- warm milk
- 15 grams of butter for greasing
- icing sugar
How to make the authentic Italian ciambella
Put the flour in a bowl, add the egg, sugar and butter (at room temperature) and start to mix.
Then add the baking powder, a small glass of brandy, grated lemon peel and some warm milk, just enough to make a soft, but compact dough.
Give the dough the form of a ring and lay it down on a greased and floured baking sheet (or a mold); then bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees for about 50 minutes.
Feel free to add some ice cream balls or hot English cream.
