Torta Nicolotta
Torta Nicolotta is a traditional Venetian thrift cake made from stale bread soaked in milk, flavoured with sultanas, lemon zest, and fragrant fennel seeds.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 280 kcal
Equipment
- •22 cm round springform cake tin
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Small saucepan
- •Baking parchment
- •Wooden spoon or potato masher
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- fat
- 8 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 280 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Soak the sultanas in the grappa for fifteen minutes until plump and soft.
- 2
Place the stale bread chunks into a large bowl and pour over the warm milk.
- 3
Leave the bread to soak for thirty minutes until completely softened through.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 22 cm cake tin with baking parchment.
- 5
Mash the soaked bread with a fork or potato masher into a thick paste.
- 6
Stir the caster sugar, beaten eggs, melted butter, lemon zest, bruised fennel seeds, and salt into the bread.
- 7
Fold in the plumped sultanas along with any remaining grappa.
- 8
Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
- 9
Bake for fifty minutes until golden brown, set in the centre, and lightly pulling away from the tin edges.
- 10
Cool completely in the tin before slicing into wedges to serve.
Chef's tips
Crushing the fennel seeds lightly releases their essential oils without turning them powdery. Use stale rustic Italian bread with good crumb structure rather than pre-sliced sandwich bread for the proper dense texture. The cake tastes significantly better when completely cold, allowing the fennel and lemon flavours to mature.
Ingredient substitutions
- grappa → warm black tea or water for an alcohol-free soak
- fennel seeds → aniseed, though fennel provides the classic Venetian Nicolotta profile
Storage
Store slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheating
Bring to room temperature before serving or warm gently in a low oven at 140°C for eight minutes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not soaking the bread long enough, leaving hard dry lumps inside the baked cake.
- •Slicing the cake while hot, which causes the delicate custard-like crumb to collapse.
- •Over-crushing the fennel seeds into powder, which makes the liquorice flavour unpleasantly harsh.
Serving suggestions
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