Parrozzo
Parrozzo is a dome-shaped Abruzzese cake made with semolina and almonds, enrobed in dark chocolate to mimic a rustic country loaf.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 430 kcal
Equipment
- •Dome-shaped cake mould (zuccotto mould, 18-20 cm)
- •Electric hand mixer
- •Food processor
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Heatproof glass bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 9 g
- calories
- 430 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C and grease an 18 to 20 cm dome mould thoroughly with butter and semolina.
- 2
Pulse the blanched almonds and bitter almonds with two tablespoons of sugar in a food processor until finely ground.
- 3
Whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar in a large bowl until pale, thick, and doubled in volume.
- 4
Stir the grated lemon zest, orange zest, and ground almond mixture into the whipped yolks.
- 5
Fold in the fine semolina gradually until evenly combined into a thick paste.
- 6
Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
- 7
Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest carefully.
- 8
Pour the mixture into the prepared dome mould and smooth the top evenly.
- 9
Bake at 160 degrees C for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- 10
Cool the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack set over a tray to cool completely.
- 11
Melt the dark chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water.
- 12
Pour the warm chocolate glaze over the cooled dome cake, spreading with a palette knife to coat completely, and let set.
Chef's tips
Bitter almonds provide the distinctive authentic flavour of Parrozzo; if you cannot source them, use a high-quality natural bitter almond extract. Ensure the cake is completely cold before pouring over the warm chocolate glaze so the coating sets smoothly without melting the crumb.
Ingredient substitutions
- bitter almonds → 1 teaspoon pure bitter almond extract added to the yolks
- dome-shaped zuccotto mould → a standard 20 cm round springform tin or an oven-safe stainless steel mixing bowl
Storage
Store the glazed cake under a glass cake dome or in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 5 days.
Reheating
Parrozzo is served at room temperature and should not be reheated.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Grinding the almonds too long until they turn into an oily paste instead of a fine meal.
- •Deflating the whipped egg whites by stirring vigorously rather than folding gently.
- •Glazing the cake while still warm, which causes the chocolate to slide off and soak into the crumb.
Serving suggestions
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