Italian Buckwheat Torta

fx

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 11:49:34 GMT

Hayleys indeed this torta has a somewhat addictive taste and I really love the idea of using quince jam (my favorite!).

Hayley-jay

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 11:00:32 GMT

Hi, thank you so much, I have made this recipe and it worked beautifully, delicious with homemade quince jam, plus I made the recipe Richard suggested also delicious and a firm favorite now! Hayley

Rick Strong

Wed, 20 May 2009 15:52:07 GMT

Thank you so much for this recipe! I first had this cake from a bakery in Bologna and when we returned home (NYC) I had to figure out what it was and how to make it. It was an instant hit with the family and with any guests lucky enough to come by when I bake :-) Your recipe is denser (and quite a bit tastier!) than the bakery version and stays fresh quite a long time - theirs had more air in it. Are there perhaps more commercial versions that e.g. mix white flour with the buckwheat, and/or use more rising agents? (not that I am interested in doing this...)

BTW, thanks for your entire website! It is completely fascinating to me as a dedicated amateur cook; I will never be a pro (in real life I"m a musician and software developer) but I constantly study to add to my repertoire and I"m happy to cook for family and friends.

fx

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:32:18 GMT

Alex, indeed this is a torta that can last a man through the whole week. Quite a strong buckwheat character, isn"t it?

Alex

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 02:29:50 GMT

Whenever I bake something new, I always like to set aside several pieces (preferably under lock and key) to see what they taste like several days later. I got to tell you, it"s even better now that the dough has had more time to absorb the jam. By the way, I didn"t use any baking powder here - if you fold in the egg whites carefully enough, it"s enough to give your torta a good leavening.

fx

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:41:48 GMT

Keiko, use a pinch of both!

fx

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 13:59:57 GMT

Glad it worked for you Alex!

Alex

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:12:55 GMT

Hi Francois!

I made the Buckwheat Torta tonight, and it turned out to be divinely delicious! Funny, my torta looks exactly like yours on the pictures! Thank you for the great recipe. I"d love some more recipes from northern Italy, especially pastry.

Keiko s

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:02:30 GMT

please, how much baking powder and salt you are putting?

fx

Sun, 7 Dec 2008 06:14:02 GMT

Thanks Norie, hope you will try to bake one!

norie

Sat, 6 Dec 2008 09:10:40 GMT

Buckwheat cake, this is the kind of cake was looking for. Cheers for that!

fx

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:37:43 GMT

Richard, thanks for sharing your recipe of buckwheat torta, I tried one in Campo Tures and it was quite similar, but every tyrolian mama and her sister have a different recipe. Thanks for yours, it looks tried and tested, must be very tasty!

Richard Bijster

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 19:51:07 GMT

Here"s the recipe I"ve been using for several years for this cake. Slight variation ingredients wise, but it"s a firm favourite of mine. Mine does seem to be slightly darker than yours and does rise more once baked.

1 heaping cup (6oz/175g) whole almonds, blanched or natural
1 1/2 cups (200g) buckwheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon (or two medium)
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup (6oz/175g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar, divided
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
4 eggs, at room temperature, separated

Preheat the oven to 350F/175C. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.
Grease a 9-inch/23cm spring form pan and set aside. In a food processor or clean coffee grinder, grind the almonds as finely as possible with 1/4 cup (50g) of the sugar. In a medium bowl, stir together the ground almonds, buckwheat flour, salt, cinnamon, lemon zest and baking powder.
In another bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup (200g) of the sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the dry mixture alternately with the milk until everything is well combined.
In a clean mixing bowl and using spotlessly clean beaters, whip the egg whites with the remaining 1/4 cup (50g) sugar until they form stiff, glossy peaks. Stir one-quarter of the whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest. Scrape the batter into the greased pan, smoothing the top.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, covering the top loosely with foil if it begins to darken too much. Cool the cake for ten minutes on a rack, then carefully remote the outer ring and cool completely. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. Dust with a little powdered sugar before serving, if you like.

fx

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 14:12:10 GMT

Gene, thanks for visiting and hold tight for more recipes from Italian Tyrol.

Gene

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 07:31:22 GMT

Enjoy your site very much and follow your culinary adventures often.
Gene, New Jersey, USA

fx

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:46:04 GMT

Julia, you can definitely use self-rising buckwheat flour for this recipe. There are hundreds of buckwheat recipes, check my site for more by clicking on the Buckwheat keyword on top of the recipe.

nameJulia A. Mc Cusker

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:29:11 GMT

Can hardly wait to use this receipe. Besides pancakes I didn"t know what else to use it for. I purchased self-rising buckwheat. Is this interchangeable?

Julia

fx

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 14:39:48 GMT

Leon, you have good eyes, indeed the very center of the torta was slighty wet. You can test for this with a needle or sharp knife. If it comes out clean, nothing inside is wet.

Leon

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:04:21 GMT

In the final picture, the centre of the cake looks a little uncooked, but thats fine, I actually prefer to have a little of my cake uncooked.

fx

Thu, 22 May 2008 15:39:29 GMT

Karine, vas-y avec la confiture de bleuet, c"est parfait pour cette tourte, la recette utilise des myrtilles mais toute confiture de fruit noir est utilisable sans autre. Merci pour ta visite et bonne chance avec la tourte au sarrasin!

fx

Thu, 22 May 2008 15:24:41 GMT

Jason, thanks for the visit and start stockpiling buckwheat and jam for the winter!

Karine

Mon, 19 May 2008 14:22:32 GMT

Bonjour Francois!

Aujourd"hui je m"attaque � ton g�teau et je me demandais si tu avais d�j� essay� de le faire avec de la confiture de bleuet? Dans ta liste d"ingr�dients, tu as �cris "blueberry jam" mais dans la desription avec photo, tu �cris blackberry jam ou myrtille. Qu"est-ce que tu pr�f�res utiliser?

Merci et bonne journ�e...

Jason

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:49:00 GMT

Looks really good. I will make this as soon as it cools down where I live. As always Thank you FX!

fx

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:25:43 GMT

Layni, it"s a really easy recipe, nothing fancy, just mix, bake, slice and fill. I hope you get to try this!

fx

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:23:50 GMT

Shreela, good luck if you harvest your own buckwheat, I"m told it"s not a hugely demanding plant, it ought to be good fun!

fx

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:22:51 GMT

Jen, the leftovers didn"t last many days! Watch out for a coming recipe of Swiss cookies with white pepper, it ought to suit you!

fx

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:19:53 GMT

Xavier, I don"t know this magazine, actually I made and shot this recipe last year and had forgotten to publish it! The recipe comes from a couple of my Italian "slow food" cookbooks.

fx

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:18:51 GMT

Dawn, thanks for visiting and I"m glad you enjoyed the cultural background of this unusual recipe!

layni

Tue, 13 May 2008 14:34:38 GMT

You make it all look so easy! The ingredients--particularly the almonds & jam-- make my mouth water! Can"t wait to try!
Love & gratitude from LA!

Sherri

Tue, 13 May 2008 09:08:26 GMT

I"m thinking I might have celiac after doing an elimination diet, and buckwheat is allowed. But I didn"t know that when I went to the health food store, so I didn"t get any. But I"ve used all the pancake mix making muffins, and my first attempt at mixing my own flour failed, so I"ll be making the trek to the health food place again, and will grab some buckwheat while I"m there.

I recently read that buckwheat is good green fertilizer, so I"m planning on planting some this fall. I might even get to harvest some, if we don"t freeze during winter. But even if I don"t get a crop out of it, I"ll be enjoying the buckwheat posts here.

Jen

Tue, 13 May 2008 07:52:06 GMT

If you cannot find anyone to help you eat all your delicious treats, please send me the leftovers. :)

Xavier

Tue, 13 May 2008 07:35:57 GMT

Are you a Cucina di Stagione reader ? This torta was in the last edition. I did cook one last week-end.

Xavier, hardcore buckwheat lover.

Dawn Sandomeno

Tue, 13 May 2008 05:04:43 GMT

This looks wonderful - like a meal all by itself! I also love the history lesson you include it makes eating food more special when you know the story behind the recipe and the people who created it. Thanks!