Schiacciata alla Fiorentina
A traditional Florentine Carnival cake, soft and flat, delicately scented with fresh orange zest and dusted with icing sugar and cocoa.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Rectangular baking tin (20x30 cm)
- •Electric hand whisk or balloon whisk
- •Fine sieve
- •Fine citrus zester
- •Wire cooling rack
- •Giglio stencil (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 45 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 310 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Grease and line a shallow 20x30 cm rectangular baking tin with parchment paper.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- 3
Whisk the eggs and caster sugar in a large mixing bowl until pale, thick, and foamy.
- 4
Pour in the melted butter, whole milk, orange juice, and vanilla extract while whisking gently.
- 5
Fold in the finely grated orange zest and a pinch of ground nutmeg.
- 6
Sift the plain flour and baking powder into the bowl in two batches.
- 7
Gently fold the dry ingredients with a spatula until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- 8
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface evenly.
- 9
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- 10
Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin placed on a wire rack.
- 11
Dust the entire top generously with icing sugar.
- 12
Lay a Florentine lily stencil over the centre and dust lightly with cocoa powder before lifting.
Chef's tips
Use unwaxed, aromatic oranges as the citrus zest provides the signature flavour of this cake. Keep the cake relatively flat, no more than three centimetres high, which gives it the authentic schiacciata profile. For an extra rich finish, you can slice the cooled cake horizontally and fill it with chantilly cream.
Ingredient substitutions
- unsalted butter → mild extra virgin olive oil or traditional lard (strutto) in equal weight
- whole milk → unsweetened almond milk or fresh orange juice
Storage
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
Reheating
Serve at room temperature, as reheating can dry out the delicate crumb.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Baking in a small round tin, which makes the cake too tall rather than flat and rectangular.
- •Dusting with icing sugar while the cake is still warm, which causes the sugar to melt into a sticky layer.
- •Overmixing the batter after adding the flour, leading to a dense and chewy crumb.
Serving suggestions
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