Rice simmered in milk until creamy, then mixed with eggs, chopped almonds and crushed amaretti and baked into a firm, golden, flourless cake. It is soaked with amaretto while warm and traditionally cut into diamonds. Makes 24 pieces in about 4 hr 50 min.
Prep30 min
Cook80 min
Cooling3 hr
Total
4 hr 50 min
Yield
24 pieces
Ingredients
Adjust yield
pieces
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
4 ¼ cups (1000 ml)whole milk
7 oz (200 g)arborio rice
1lemon peel, wide strip, no white pith
1 pinchsalt
1 cup (180 g)granulated sugar
1 ½ tbsp (20 g)unsalted butter
¾ cup (100 g)blanched almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
2 oz (60 g)amaretti cookies, crushed
⅓ cup (40 g)candied citron, finely chopped, optional
Bring the whole milk, lemon peel and salt to a gentle simmer in a heavy saucepan. Add the Arborio rice and cook over low heat, stirring often so it does not stick, until the rice is very soft and has absorbed nearly all the milk, 30 to 35 minutes.
Off the heat, remove the lemon peel and stir in the granulated sugar and unsalted butter. Let the rice cool to room temperature, stirring now and then, about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease the baking pan with the butter for the pan and coat it with the dry breadcrumbs, tipping out the excess.
Beat the eggs with the lemon zest, then stir them into the cooled rice along with the blanched almonds, amaretti cookies and candied citron until evenly mixed.
Spread the mixture in the pan and level it. Bake until set, golden on top and a knife in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
While the cake is still hot, prick it all over with a skewer and spoon the amaretto liqueur evenly over the top.
Cool in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. Cut into diamonds about 2 inches (5 cm) across and serve at room temperature.
Tips
Stir the rice often, especially at the end, as milk scorches easily.
The cake tastes best the day after baking, once the liqueur has soaked in and the texture has firmed.
Bake until the egg mixture is fully set (160°F / 71°C in the center) and refrigerate the cake.
Good with espresso or a small glass of amaretto.
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How long does it take to make torta di riso (bolognese rice cake)?
Plan on 30 minutes of prep and 1 hour 20 minutes of cooking, plus 3 hours to chill and rest. The recipe makes 24 pieces.
How should I store torta di riso (bolognese rice cake)?
Refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days; let pieces stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.
Can I make torta di riso (bolognese rice cake) ahead?
Yes. It needs time to chill and set, so it is a good one to make the day before you serve it.
Bologna's torta di riso, also called torta degli addobbi, was made for the old festa degli addobbi when windows were hung with drapes for Corpus Domini; rice is cooked in milk with lemon zest, bound with eggs, almonds and amaretti, baked without flour and soaked with liqueur. Serve it with espresso or a small glass of amaretto.
Variations
Orange-zest version: replace the lemon peel and zest with orange peel and zest, and the amaretto with orange liqueur.
Alcohol-free: skip the amaretto and brush the warm cake with 60 ml simple syrup flavored with 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) almond extract.
Round cake: bake in a 10-inch (25 cm) springform pan for 50 to 60 minutes and cut into wedges.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.
154Calories / serving
5.4gFat
21.7gCarbs
4.2gProtein
13.0gSugar
Whole recipe (24 servings):
~3696 cal ·
130g fat ·
521g carbs ·
101g protein ·
312g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Recipe Rating
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