Pastiera (Traditional Neapolitan Cake)

Pastiera is a traditional Neapolitan cake prepared for Easter. It is a rich Easter cake that has a flavor of its own. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

For the pasta:  

• 5 oz. butter
• 4 oz. confectioners’ sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• ½ lb. all-purpose flour

For the filling:

• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• ½ lb. cooked wheat
• ½ lb. granulated sugar
• 3 oz. milk
• 3 eggs
• lemon zest, grated
• vanilla to taste
• 1 oz. orange flower water
• cinnamon to taste
• 3 oz. mixed candied fruit
• 1 oz. confectioners’ sugar
• 1 oz. butter
• Salt

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4.
• Then, place the butter and flour and butter into a mixer bowl, beat until grainy. Next, gradually mix in the yolks, the vanilla, the powdered sugar and beat further (just be careful not to over-mix).
• Once the dough is prepared, wrap it in clingfilm and put in the fridge for two hours. After that, remove from the fridge and roll the dough to a thickness of around 0.2-in., use it to line a cake pan and by using a fork, prick the pastry all over.
• Next, place the ricotta and the sugar into a mixer bowl and combine together. Finish by applying all the ingredients for the filling, combining together well – just take care not to let it collapse.
• As soon as the filling is completed lay it in the lined cake pan.
• Then, make pastry strips and lay them crisscross through the top of the cake as a fruit flan. Place in the oven and bake at 350°F/180°C/Gas Mark 4, for around 1hour and 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool for 15 minutes and serve.

Buon Appetito!

Buona Pasqua!

Note: The filling need to be principally soft, though not too moist.