Smegiassa Ciosota
Smegiassa Ciosota is a dense, dark rustic cake from Chioggia in the Venetian Lagoon, made with yellow maize flour, black molasses, dried figs, and walnuts.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 340 kcal
Equipment
- •22cm round cake tin
- •Mixing bowl
- •Small saucepan
- •Baking parchment
- •Wooden spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 340 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 52 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 340 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 22cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
- 2
Soak the raisins in warm water for ten minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess moisture.
- 3
Whisk the warm milk, dark molasses, and melted lard together in a large mixing bowl until dissolved.
- 4
Stir the fine polenta flour, plain flour, baking powder, and salt into the wet mixture until smooth.
- 5
Fold in the chopped dried figs, chopped walnuts, drained raisins, and bruised fennel seeds.
- 6
Pour the thick, dark batter into the prepared tin and level the top with a spoon.
- 7
Bake for forty to forty-five minutes until firm to the touch and dark brown.
- 8
Cool completely in the tin before slicing into thin wedges.
Chef's tips
Smegiassa is naturally dense and moist rather than light and spongy. Use fioretto maize flour rather than coarse bramata to avoid an overly gritty texture. The cake tastes significantly better on the second day once the flavours of molasses and fennel have matured.
Ingredient substitutions
- lard → mild extra-virgin olive oil or unsalted butter for a vegetarian version
- dark molasses → black treacle or dark grape must reduction
- whole milk → tepid water as used in the leanest historical versions
Storage
Keep wrapped in greaseproof paper at cool room temperature for up to five days.
Reheating
Serve at room temperature, or warm slices gently in a low oven for five minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using coarse polenta grain which leaves the baked cake unpleasantly crunchy.
- •Slicing the cake while hot, causing the dense crumb to tear and crumble.
- •Overbaking until dry; the centre should remain dark and slightly fudgy.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Smegiassa Ciosota?
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