Torta Di Pane (rustic Bread Pudding Cake From Ticino

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 1 loaf french bread (about 1 pound) or 1 loaf italian bread, slightly stale and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1 pound)
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 quart milk
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole almond, ground in food processor
• 2 cups dark raisins
• blanched almonds and pine nuts, for topping (whole)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• confectioners' sugar, for finishing

Recipe

• 1 grease a 10 inch round cake pan.
• 2 heat oven to 400 degrees with rack in middle of oven.
• 3 put the bread cubes in a food processor and pulse to make 1/8 inch crumbs.
• 4 put crumbs in large mixing bowl with lemon zest.
• 5 bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat and then pour over the bread to cover it completely.
• 6 let mixture stand for 10 minutes so the bread absorbs the milk.
• 7 in another large bowl whisk the eggs and then add the sugar in a stream.
• 8 then whisk in the cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg and vanilla.
• 9 stir the bread soaked mixture into this.
• 10 stir in the ground almonds and raisins.
• 11 scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
• 12 decorate with the almonds and pine nuts in a symmetrical pattern.
• 13 dot the top of the batter with the butter.
• 14 place the pan in the oven and immediately lower heat to 350 degrees.
• 15 bake the cake until it is a deep golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about an hour.
• 16 cool the cake in the pan, on a rack.
• 17 invert cake onto rack and then invert again onto platter.
• 18 dust cake with confectioner's sugar before serving.