Pandolce (traditional Christmas Genoa cake)

There are two version of Pandolce in Genoa. There are the “tall” ones, almost perfect semi-spheres, perfectly smooth which have leavened for a long time at warm temperature to swell like balloons. They are the original ones and it is said that women centuries ago used to take them to bed, putting them at the bottom of the covers next to the warmer to obtain a perfect leavening. And then there are the “flat”ones, which are unleaveded. They are indeed flat, with raisins proudly sticking out of the surface and when they are cut they crumble like biscuits while the dried fruit they hide rolls cheerfully in the plate. This version of the Genoa cake is more recent, born at the end of the nineteenth century with the advent of powdered yeast and rapidly became popular for its ease of preparation. If you, like me, want to celebrate Christmas by cultivating traditions, which are an inestimable treasure for every people, try to make the flat Genoa cake at home. It’s simple and with the right recipe – and this is the best one for me – the success is guaranteed!