Italian Panforte Fruit Cake Recipe Without Chocolate
This classic traditional Italian Panforte fruit cake recipe is made without chocolate and with spices, nuts, and dried fruit. Panforte is a popular chewy nutty fruit cake dessert that originated from Siena and can be found throughout all regions in Italy. Sweet, nutty, and fruity, this cake was first introduced to me by a close friend who brought it over on Christmas day.
What I love about this Italian fruit cake dessert is its warm scent of spices and sweetness. Made with hazelnuts, almonds, apricots, mixed glazed candied fruit, dried fig, and dates, what more can you ask from a classic fruit cake.
Ingredients For Panforte Fruit Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ( 240 grams)
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar ( 270 grams)
- 3/4 cup of honey (250 grams)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter ( 45 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (2.5 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice (1.5 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (1.5 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (2.5 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5grams)
- 2 cups toasted hazelnuts chopped (260 grams)
- 1/2 cup dates chopped (110 grams)
- 2 cups sliced almonds (160 grams)
- 3/4 dried glazed candied fruit (90 grams)
- 1 cup dried apricots, chopped (190 grams)
- 1/2 cup dried figs chopped (75 grams)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup icing sugar for garnish (30 grams optional)
How To make Panforte Fruit Cake?
- Preheat oven to 165°C (330°F).
- Lina the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan or spray with pan release.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sliced almonds, chopped hazelnuts, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, orange zest, salt, figs, mixed glazed candied fruit, dates, and apricots and toss together.
- Add the honey, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar into a medium-size pot and bring to a boil on medium-high, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the sugar mixture onto the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Transfer mixture into lined baking pan and even out the surface.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. To check if the cake is baked, insert a pick into the center, it should come out clean.
- Remove cake from the oven, then transfer the cake onto a wire rack and cool.
- Place onto a serving plate and garnish with icing sugar.
- Keep leftover cake wrapped in plastic and store at ambient temperature for up to one week.
Italian Panforte Fruit Cake
This classic traditional Italian Panforte fruit cake recipe is made without chocolate and with spices, nuts, and dried fruit. Panforte is a popular chewy nutty fruit cake dessert that originated from Siena and can be found throughout all regions in Italy.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar 270 grams
- 3/4 cup of honey 250 grams
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 45 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 2.5 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice 1.5 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder 1.5 grams
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2.5 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5grams
- 2 cups toasted hazelnuts chopped 260 grams
- 1/2 cup dates chopped 110 grams
- 2 cups sliced almonds 160 grams
- 3/4 dried glazed candied fruit 90 grams
- 1 cup dried apricots chopped (190 grams)
- 1/2 cup dried figs chopped 75 grams
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/4 cup icing sugar for garnish 30 grams optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 165°C (330°F).
- Lina the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan or spray with pan release.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sliced almonds, chopped hazelnuts, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, orange zest, salt, figs, mixed glazed candied fruit, dates, and apricots and toss together.
- Add the honey, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar into a medium-size pot and bring to a boil on medium-high, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the sugar mixture onto the dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Transfer mixture into lined baking pan and even out the surface.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. To check if the cake is baked, insert a pick into the center, it should come out clean.
- Remove cake from the oven, then transfer the cake onto a wire rack and cool.
- Place onto a serving plate and garnish with icing sugar.
- Keep leftover cake wrapped in plastic and store at ambient temperature for up to one week.