Neapolitan-Style Easter Cake

Ingredients

• 150 g wheat kernels
• 0.5 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 600 ml Milk
• 2 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 80 g candied fruit (e.g., quince and orange)
• 5 eggs
• 0.5 tsp orange zest
• 4 tbsp orange blossom water
• 125 g sugar
• 500 g Ricotta
• 250 g flour
• 125 g butter
• a pinch salt
• 75 g sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• brown sugar (for sprinkling)
• flour (for working)
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cover the wheat with water and let it soak overnight. Combine the lemon zest, cinnamon, milk, sugar, and drained wheat in a pot and simmer gently for about 1 hour until soft. Stir occasionally and add more milk if needed. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool.

2. 2.

   Knead all dough ingredients with 2–3 tbsp cold water into a smooth dough and wrap in plastic film; chill for about 30 minutes.

3. 3.

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan.

4. 4.

   Meanwhile, chop the candied fruit. Separate the eggs; beat the yolks with orange zest, orange blossom water, and sugar until fluffy. Fold in ricotta, drained wheat, and fruit. Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold into the mixture.

5. 5.

   Roll out the dough on a floured surface and line a tart pan. Trim excess edges and cut strips for decoration. Spread the filling over the dough, smooth, and lay the strips in a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake for about 1 hour. If the cake darkens too much, cover with foil. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.