Treviso Pumpkin Cake - Torta di zucca di Treviso
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
An adaption of Joyce Goldstein’s Torta di Zucca Barucca from her stellar book, Cucina Ebraica
Author:
Cuisine: Italian Jewish - Cucina Ebraica
Serves: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds
  • 1½ stick of high quality unsalted butter, European if available
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • ½ cup almonds
  • 2 packages of Italian amaretti cookies, 4 cookies in all
  • ½ cup candied citron, minced
  • ⅓ cup golden raisins plumped in 3 tablespoons of grappa
  • Finely grated zest of 2 large lemons
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature and separated
  • Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
  • Lemon strips for decorating the top
Instructions
  1. Peel and half the butternut squash, removing the seeds & fiber. Dice into ½" pieces- you should have about 4 cups.
  2. Melt the butter in a large heavy duty saute pan over low heat, add the butternut squash and cover. Cook until the squash is tender and falling apart, anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes. Stir occasionally mashing the squash with the back of a wooden spoon as you go along. The squash should be lump free when you are finished. Remove the cooked squash from the heat, turn it into a bowl and allow to cool until room temperature.
  3. Preheat the oven to 325 º.
  4. Butter a 9 inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
  5. Grind the almonds and amaretti cookies together in a food processor. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  6. Once the butternut squash has cooled, whisk in the granulated sugar and ground almonds/amaretti. Stir the citron, raisins and lemon zest into this mixture. Stir in the flour mixture to the squash mixture, mixing well. Add the egg yolks and beat in with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
  7. Using a clean bowl and whisk, beat the egg whites until soft peaks have formed. Carefully fold the egg whites into the squash mixture until no traces of white remain. Turn into the prepared springform pan and place into the oven.
  8. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick emerges clean from the center of the cake. Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cake is cooled, invert onto the wire rack, remove the bottom and parchment and invert again onto a serving plate. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and decorate with a few strips of lemon peel
Recipe by LaBellaSorella at http://labellasorella.com/2017/11/treviso-pumpkin-cake/