Panforte

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Medium

Panforte is a flat, chewy Sienese cake where toasted nuts and candied citrus are bound with cooked honey syrup and warm spices. It is sliced thin and keeps for weeks. Makes 1 8-inch round panforte in about 1 hr 10 min.

Prep 30 min

Cook 40 min

Total 1 hr 10 min

Yield 1 8-inch round panforte

Diet Dairy free

Ingredients

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8-inch round panforte

1 ¼ cups (150 g)whole blanched almonds, toasted
¾ cup (100 g)hazelnuts, toasted, skins rubbed off
4 oz (120 g)candied orange peel, finely diced
2 oz (60 g)candied lemon peel, finely diced
½ cup (60 g)all-purpose flour
2 ½ tbsp (12 g)unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp (4 g)ground cinnamon
½ tsp (1 g)ground nutmeg
½ tsp (1 g)ground cloves
½ tsp (1 g)ground black pepper
7 tbsp (150 g)honey
¾ cup (150 g)granulated sugar
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)powdered sugar

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 300 F (150 C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment, and grease the parchment lightly.
In a large heatproof bowl, stir together the toasted almonds, hazelnuts, both candied peels, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pepper until evenly coated.
Combine the honey and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and boil until a candy thermometer reads 240 F (115 C), the soft-ball stage.
Pour the hot syrup over the nut mixture at once and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until everything is coated. It stiffens fast, so work briskly.
Scrape the mixture into the pan. Wet your fingers or the back of a spoon and press it into an even, tightly packed layer.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes. The surface will bubble and look puffy but will not brown much; it firms as it cools.
Cool completely in the pan, then lift out, peel off the parchment and trim any ragged edge. Dust generously with powdered sugar and cut into thin wedges with a sharp knife.

Tips

Use a candy thermometer; undercooked syrup gives a sticky, soft panforte and overcooked syrup makes it brittle.
Toast the nuts first for deeper flavor.
Wet a knife with hot water between cuts for clean slices.
Hot sugar syrup reaches 240 F (115 C); keep children away and pour carefully.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make panforte?

Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 1 8-inch round panforte.

How should I store panforte?

Wrap in parchment and foil; keeps at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Can I make panforte ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Serve it with vin Santo or espresso.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 1 serving this recipe makes.

205 Calories / serving

8.7g Fat

31.4g Carbs

3.6g Protein

24.3g Sugar

Whole recipe (1 serving): ~205 cal · 9g fat · 31g carbs · 4g protein · 24g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.