When it's Carnevale, Italy's cities and families celebrate in style. And what would such a celebration be without sweet treats! Schiacciata fiorentina for everyone!

The Florentine carnival cake

Seductive celebration

It's time for chiacchiere, crostoli, bugie, cenci di San Vito, cicerchiata umbra, sfrappole, castagnole, carnival sweet ravioli and bomboloni (Italian donuts): every Italian region has its own typical carnival pastry. They can be sweet, filled and, above all, baked in oil.
Only Florence does not follow this latest trend. Schiacciata Fiorentina is a soft, fluffy sheet cake that is baked in the oven. Originally, the tray for pizza al taglio was used for this, which is very reminiscent of focaccia. The cake is traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday.

The Schiacciata recipe through the ages

Almost every Florentine family has its own, slightly different recipe for Schiacciata Fiorentina. It is closely guarded and passed down from generation to generation. The cake is usually made with yeast dough and lard. To make it fluffy and light, the dough has to rise repeatedly: This takes a lot of time.
Followers of modern cuisine have created a variation that adapts to the rhythm of modern life (i.e. saves time) while still trying to achieve the original taste. Baking powder and oil replace yeast and lard. With success, as I find after trying out both recipes. There's only one thing you can't change on a Schiacciata Fiorentina: the lily, symbol of the city of Florence.

📖 Recipe

SCHIACCIATA FIORENTINA

A delightful Italian cake! It's a traditional Tuscan dessert typically enjoyed during Carnival season, particularly in Florence and surrounding areas. This cake is characterized by its light and fluffy texture, fragrant aroma, and subtle citrus flavor.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Course Bread, cake

Cuisine Italian, Tuscany, vegetarian, with sugar

Servings slices

Calories 210.8 kcal

Equipment

1 stencil with fleur-de-lis symbol - Florentine lily

Ingredients

300 g flour
250 g sugar
125 ml oil
125 ml yoghurt, natural
3 eggs
½ pkg baking powder
1 pkg vanilla sugar
1 pinch cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200° C, it must be very hot.
Grease the baking dish (oven dish approx. 30 cm x 20 cm) and dust with flour. Mix the flour with the baking powder and sieve. This ensures that the baking powder is evenly distributed and the dough rises well. Combine all the ingredients and mix vigorously with a food processor for a few minutes to incorporate air into the batter.

Baking and serving

Reduce the oven temperature to 180° C and bake the cake for 30-35 minutes. It is ready when the edges come away from the tin.
Decorate the cooled cake with powdered sugar, possibly using a stencil (Florentine lily). In Florence, it is usually served with vanilla cream or whipped cream.

Notes

The top heat setting is ideal. For top and bottom heat, place the cake on the top shelf. Do not use convection. Do not open the oven until half an hour after baking has started, otherwise the cake could collapse. A touch of saffron colors the dough nicely yellow. Please use sparingly, otherwise it will change the taste of the cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 210.8 kcalCarbohydrates: 30.4 gProtein: 3.3 gFat: 8.7 gSaturated Fat: 1 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.1 gTrans Fat: 0.03 gCholesterol: 31.7 mgSodium: 19.3 mgPotassium: 44.4 mgFiber: 0.5 gSugar: 16.1 gVitamin A: 52.6 IUVitamin C: 0.04 mgCalcium: 19.3 mgIron: 1 mg

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Buon appetito