Torta di Riso (Rice Cake)

Rice cake: A light and delicious cake, perfect for a gluten free diet.

The rice cake is an Italian classic, prepared with some variations in the different regions of Italy The recipe that I am proposing is typical of Emilia Romagna; in the past it used to be prepared only at Easter, but nowadays we eat it all year long. It is too tasty for just one occasion!

Actually I like it as a summer dessert because of its fresh lemon taste. The simple recipe with milk and rice can feature a variety of different other ingredients, according to your personal tastes (see note). The rice I use is the Arborio or Carnaroli rice, rich in starch, that gives a smooth texture to this dessert. The traditional recipe calls for some butter (about 3 tablespoons); I omit it to make the recipe lighter.

You can serve it as a dessert after dinner, or I also like it as an afternoon snack with a good cup of coffee.

TORTA DI RISO (RICE CAKE)

Preparation time: 1 hour             Baking time: 45-50 minutes          Servings: 6

INGREDIENTS

960 ml (4 cups) whole milk
200 g (7 oz) Arborio rice (Italian rice)
1 vanilla bean
350 g (1 pound) organic goat ricotta from Casaleroccolo
70 g (½ cup) blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
100 g (2/3 cup) raisins
1 organic lemon, grated rind
130 g (heaping 1/2 cup) sugar
4 medium eggs (divided in egg yolks + egg whites)
1 pinch of salt
Rum
Powdered sugar for decoration

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 180 °C (about 350°F)
1. In a small bowl soften the raisins in the rum for about 10-15 min. The amount of rum should be enough to fully cover the raisins
2. Bring the milk to a boil with the vanilla bean. Then remove the vanilla and add the rice. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or more, until the mixture is similar to a “risotto” (pretty dense mixture). Stir often with a wooden spoon. In case during cooking it gets too dense, add some extra milk (about 60 ml, 1/4 cup). Pour the mixture into a glass bowl and allow to cool
3. As soon as the “risotto ” is cold, add the ricotta, raisins and rum, almonds, salt and lemon zest
4. In a bowl beat the egg yolks with the sugar using an electric mixer until creamy. Add the rice mixture and stir. The batter should be pretty liquid
5. Beat the egg whites using an electric mixer until stiff. Add to the rice mixture
6.Coat the bottom of a spring form pan (diameter 24 cm, about 10 inch) with a disc of baking paper and pour in the mixture. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until the surface is golden and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool on a rack. As soon as the cake is cool, loosen the cake from the pan by running the blade of a knife around the edges, and then release it. Remove the baking paper. Place on a serving plate and enjoy!

Note: The almonds can be replaced with an equal amount of rosted pine nuts. You can also add 50 g of dried apricots, cut into small pieces. Vanilla can be replaced with a pinch of ground cinnamon. Some recipes use fresh fruit such as pitted cherries. – Paola