Anghiari, the famous ‘Mantovana’ cake

The ‘Mantovana’ cake is a traditional sweet from Anghiari, which has been baked by women from the town of Arezzo for over one hundred years. It is not known whether the recipe was really originally from Mantua, however, in Anghiari, this cake is considered truly special. Perhaps, this is due to the area’s water or to the recipes created by Gigliola and Marina—two women from Anghiari who have helped make this cake a legendary treat.

Ingredients
150 grams of butter, 5 eggs, 175 grams of sugar, the grated peel of one lemon, 175 grams of flour, 80 grams of pine nuts

Preparation:
Melt the butter in a double broiler and set it aside to cool. In a bowl, beat 4 egg yolks and one whole egg, adding sugar a little at a time. When the mixture becomes soft and frothy, add the grated lemon peel. Finally, add the sifted flour and melted butter. Grease and flour a 24-cm round cake pan and pour the batter into it. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200 degrees C. Bake for about 45 minutes. When done, remove the cake from the pan and let cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Serves six.

Source: Anghiari City Hall