Umbrian Cochineal Cake (Umbria)

Desserts

Ingredients

Eggs - 2

Egg yolks - 3

Granulated sugar - 1 1/8 cups

Softened butter - 5/8 cup

Baking powder - 5 tsps

All purpose flour - 4 cups

Alkermes liqueur - 2-3 tbsps

Milk - 1/2 cup

Salt - pinch

Grated rind of 1 lemon

Butter and flour for cake pan

Egg whites - 3

Confectioners sugar - 6 tbsps

Beat the whole eggs and the egg yolks with the sugar to a thick, fluffy cream. Add the butter in small pieces and continue to beat until the mixture is smooth and like a thick cream. Sift the baking powder with the flour and gradually work this into the egg and butter cream. Mix the liqueur with the milk and work this thoroughly into the dough, beating or kneading until the color of the liqueur has worked evenly through the dough, and adding a little more milk if necessary. Add the salt and lemon rind. Knead until smooth, then break off a piece of dough, about 1/4 of the whole amount.

Grease a round cake pan lightly with butter and coat with flour. Add the large piece of dough, shaping it in the pan like a doughnut with a hole in the center. Cut off a small piece of the reserved dough and roll this out . Cut into 2 strips and make a cross over the hole with them. Divide the remaining dough into 3 pieces and roll these into 3 small balls. Arrange these on top of one of the strips of the cross.

Bake the cake in a moderate oven (375F) for 40 minutes. In the meantime, beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add the confectioners sugar. When the ciaramicola is a golden brown color, spread the meringue over it. Return the cake to the cooling oven to allow the meringue to dry without changing color.