Sformato di Arancia; An Ancient Italian Dessert

Sundays are my pastry or dessert making day, when I allow myself the pleasure of eating something delectably sweet, always made by my own hands.  As  plump Spanish oranges are  bursting on the market as well as a new crop of appelation d’origine controlée (AOC) Perigourd walnuts, I immediately thought of this extremely old and unusual dessert, that I love!  It is unique as it is  made with boiled oranges , ground almonds and walnuts, and eggs without any butter or flour.

I first discovered this recipe in a book by Giuliano Bugiallis, called Foods of Italy, printed in 1984.  The author describes the recipe as dating back to pre Renaissance times.  Even googling the name does not pull up much of anything resembling this recipe, except an old inquiry from a another foodie on Chowhound.  There were some Italian blog recipes, but most called for adding rice flour, or another feculent.  Perhaps my Italian Friend Bruna can add more information!

A sformato appears to be a term meaning a timbale or pudding like dish as vegetables are also prepared in that way.  Yet the orange sformato is not at all pudding like, but is more resemblant of a flourless cake.  Orange with almonds or walnuts are a winning combination and the results will melt in your mouth!

Its simplicity as best, using only oranges, eggs, sugar and ground nuts, that  begs you to use the very best organic or bio oranges you can find and, as you do not want orange skins treated with fungicides.

This is the recipe as it appeared in Giuliano Bugiallis’s cookbook and afterwards I will write down my tweaked recipes.  Here it goes:

Sformato di Arancia

3 large oranges; organic or non treated, soaked for 1 hour in salted water

1 cup blanched almonds, ground

1/4 cup walnuts, ground

6 extra-large eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon orange extract

Syrup

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Garnish

Whipped cream

Fresh orange slices from 1 orange

coarsely chopped almonds or walnuts

Boil the oranges in cold water to cover for about 45 minutes.  Cool them and cut in quarters, removing seeds if any, then put the oranges in a food processor and puree.

Separate the eggs and set aside the whites for the moment.  Beat the egg yolks with the sugar or orange sugar till somewhat fluffy.  Stir in the orange puree and the chopped nuts.

Beat the egg whites till firm stiff peaks and then gently fold into the orange and nuts mixture.  Put in a buttered non stick springform pan and bake in a preheated oven of 400 F for about 35 to 40 minutes.  The cake will rise like a souffle, then fall somewhat.

While cake is baking, prepare syrup by mixing 1/2 cup sugar with 1 cup cold water in small saucepan.  I suggest adding the blanched slivered peel from 1 orange.  Boil down around 15 minutes or so . Cool and remove the slivered orange peel from the syrup.  Add some fresh lemon juice.

Let cake cool in pan, detach sides with a knife and unleash the side of the springboard pan.  Paint the sides of cake with syrup and pour evenly the rest over the cake.  Garnish as described below.

 

My tweaked version differs mainly in the number of oranges that are boiled, the amount of sugar(less) and eggs used and my extraction of volatile oils for the orange skins.  Also I enhanced the sugar syrup with orange peel and orange liquors that is poured over the cake, making my version more flavorful of orange!

First of all I used only 2 very large oranges to boil, instead of three. Since I prefer to extract the volatile orange oils myself, rather than resort to orange extract, I peeled the skin off  the third orange and pulverized it with the sugar in a robot coupe or food processor. I did this because I like the slight bitterness in the orange skins oils that the sugar crystals absorb.

It you don’t like that, then peel the third orange, blanch the skin in boiling water, for a minute or two, then dry thoroughly, before  because you process it with the sugar.

Because I did not have the called for 6 eggs and because I did not boil 3 oranges, I have used only 5  and at one time 4 eggs, both successfully, except I do prefer using 5 eggs, as the cake needs that amount of eggs to provide structure and rise power from the egg whites.

I have reduced the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup for the cake, processed with the orange peel that is used for the cake.  Remember that the recipe calls for a sugar syrup that is poured over the cake after cooking, therefore it really does not need that much sweetening, but of course that is my taste and preference!  Too much sugar can hide the incredible orangeness I strive for!

When I beat the egg whites, I did add a pinch fo  salt to the strengthen the egg whites at the beginning and added 2 tablespoons of sugar after the egg whites started to mount.

The 4th orange, I peeled off all the skin and blanched it in boiling water for about 1 or 2 minutes, which I used in making the syrup and in garnishing the cake , along with whipped cream.

My tweaked version to consider too!

4 organic or bio navel oranges

5 or 6 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar for the cake, plus 2 tablespoons sugar to add to egg whites

1 cup almonds blanched or whole, your preference, finely ground for the cake

1/4 cup walnuts finely ground for the cake

Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup cold water

Slivered blanched peel from one of the oranges

lemon juice

Grand Marnier or Cointreau

Boil 2  of the oranges and puree as in original recipe.

For the cake, process the peel of one orange with 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor.  Beat the 5 egg yolks and orange sugar till they begin to be white and fluffy .  Add the ground almonds( I preferred the unblanched) and ground walnuts, folding the nuts in as you would egg whites.

Beat the egg whites with pinch of salt and when they start to form soft peaks add slowly the 2 tablespoon of sugar.  Beat till firm , stiff peaks.

Stir about a 1/5 th the egg whites into the egg nut mixture to just lighten it, and then fold in the rest of the egg whites, being careful to not deflate the egg whites, or the cake will not rise!

Put batter into a buttered bottom springform pan and bake at 200 C or 400 F for approximately 30 to 40 minutes depending on your oven.  The cake will rise like a souffle,but not as high.  Towards the end of baking it will be browned, and fall somewhat.

Let cool in pan. Go around the sides of the pan with a knife to loosen the cake.  Unleash the side.  Prepare syrup.  Remove peel from 1 orange , and slice into thin slivers. a Blanch peel in pan of water brought to a boil, then drain. Add peel to 1/2 cup sugar and about 3/4 cup water.  Boil down until syrupy, taking about 15 minutes or so.  Let cool somewhat.  Remove the slivered peel and set aside.  Add the fresh lemon juice and some Grand Marnier or Cointreau to taste.

Pour orange syrup all over the cake. Press coarsely chopped almonds, toasted or not or walnuts onto the sides of the cake.  Fill center with a mound of whipped cream and decorate the top with the candied slivered peel. Remove white pith from the remaining orange and cut in half.  Then cut thin orange slices, like half moons.  Use these slices to put all around the bottom edge of the cake and serve!