The most famous dessert in Verona, a must in the windows of the best pastry shops in the city. We are talking about the Russian cake, a typical specialty of Verona composed of a puff pastry shell filled and scented with almonds and amaretti. The result is a tall and soft cake, ideal to serve for Sunday lunch or perhaps as a sweet treat to take to the home of friends or relatives. It seems that this dessert was made by a pastry chef in love with a Russian woman with wonderful blue eyes: this would explain the origin of the name of this cake. There are certainly many other legends linked to the Russian cake of Verona, all to be told in front of a delicious slice of this historic dessert.
The Torta Russa or the Russian Cake, is a typical dessert from Verona, dating back to the middle of the last century. Its recipe is today 'guarded' by one of the city's institutions, the Pasticceria Flego. The Russian Cake or Torta Russa di Verona is a traditional dessert from Verona, Italy. It is made of a puff pastry shell filled with a delicate mixture of almonds, amaretti biscuits, and eggs. According to tradition, it is named after its hat-like shape, resembling the headgear of the Russian, Armenian, and Afghan people. Some romantic stories suggest it was created by a pastry chef from Verona who dedicated it to a Russian girl he fell in love with. Despite being a fairly recent creation, dating back to the second half of the last century, it has become a popular dessert in Verona and can be found in the city's best pastry shops.
Torta Russa di Verona
Ingredients:
00 flour 170 g; Sugar 150 g; Butter 100 g; Macaroons 100 g Almonds 100 g; Eggs (about 3 medium) 168 g Baking powder for cakes 8 g; Salt 1 pinch; Almond flavoring (sweet) 1 tsp; Puff Pastry (1 roll) 230 g; Powdered sugar to taste
Preparation:
To prepare the Russian cake from Verona, start by melting the butter over a very low heat and leave to cool. Then blend the almonds in a mixer with a little sugar taken from the total dose. Also crumble the amaretti biscuits with your hands into a small bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat the eggs with the remaining sugar until the mixture is light and frothy. Slowly pour in the now warmed melted butter; the crumbled almonds worked with the sugar, the flour, the yeast and the crumbled amaretti biscuits, the sweet almond flavoring and a pinch of salt. Work with the whisk to obtain a homogeneous mixture. Line a 20cm diameter cake tin with a 14cm high edge with baking paper and place the pastry insideso that it protrudes a little from the edge. Pour the mixture, fold the edges inwards and bake in a preheated static oven at 180° for about 60 minutes. If the cake darkens on the surface, you can move it to the lowest shelf of the oven or cover with aluminum foil until the end of cooking. Once cooked, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely before turning it out. The Russian cake from Verona can be served by decorating with icing sugar as desired.
This cake can now be considered representative of an entire city. It is one of the symbolic desserts with a long pastry tradition that flourished in the 13th century under the Della Scala family, an ancient dynasty of Verona. Today, it can only be found in a few shops in the center that have resisted catering solely to tourist demand, thereby preserving historical memory and territorial identity. Pasticceria Flego is a notable example, as it has worked diligently to safeguard this heritage. Located in the heart of the city amidst ancient Roman ruins, the Flego Pasticceria has been the custodian of recipes that contributed to the city's prestige. Verona was declared a UNESCO heritage site in 2000. For over half a century, the shop windows of Corso Porta Borsari have featured 9 typical local specialties including Nadalin, Pandoro, Romeo and Juliet's Kisses, and, of course, the Russian Cake. Perhaps also for Matteo Flego and his brother Marco, along with their mother Renza Dalla Val who are leading the new direction of the Pasticceria. Indeed, the owner himself emphasizes the value of their family and the city, stating, "What we prepare with great love is the original recipe for the Russian Cake of Verona."
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