Tuscan Grape Harvest Cake - Torta Della Vendemmia
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A fall recipe celebrating the grape harvest adapted from Organic Tuscany, a cooking program outside of Certaldo Tuscany
Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ Tbs. baking powder
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 4 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • Finely grated peel of half a lemon
  • 1 cup of lightly toasted walnut pieces
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 pounds of tasty red grapes, seedless
  • 3 Tbs. turbinado sugar
  • Additional rosemary sprigs for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ยบ. Line the bottom and sides of a 10" springform pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the paper.
  2. Wash the grapes well in several changes of fresh water, dry on cotton toweling. Remove the grapes from the stem and cut 1 pound of them into halves. Combine the halved and whole grapes together and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt until well combined; set aside.
  4. Remove the rosemary needles from the stem and coarsely chop. Place the rosemary and the extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan over a low flame. Bring to a low simmer, continuing to simmer for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add the finely grated lemon peel.
  5. Break the two eggs into a small bowl and mix lightly with a fork. Add the eggs to the dry ingredients and combine; add the rosemary-scented olive oil to the mixture, combining with your fingertips.
  6. Add all of the grapes and the toasted walnuts to the batter using your hands. Once the mixture is uniformly combined, place it into the prepared springform pan & flattening it out with your hands. Sprinkle the cake with the turbinado sugar and place into the oven.
  7. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until there are no wet traces in the batter. Remove to a rack and allow to cool; after 20 minutes, unlatch the sides of the springform pan carefully. Once the cake has cooled, transfer to a serving plate using a spatula. Garnish with additional rosemary springs.
Recipe by LaBellaSorella at http://labellasorella.com/2015/10/tuscan-grape-harvest-cake/