Nut Cake

Fluffy and aromatic cozonaci, made with love, are the perfect delight for any holiday or special occasion. To achieve these cozonaci, it is essential to leave all the ingredients at room temperature the night before, ensuring that the dough will rise evenly and be fluffy.

For the dough, we start by placing the eggs and egg yolks in a bowl, adding salt over them. We beat them with a fork and set them aside to combine the flavors. Then, we sift the flour twice into a larger bowl to aerate the ingredient and avoid lumps. We heat 500 ml of milk, adding sugar and stirring until it completely dissolves. After the milk cools slightly, we add vanilla sugar and citrus zest to provide a pleasant aroma. In a separate bowl, we pour 250 ml of boiling milk over 3 tablespoons of flour, stirring quickly to avoid lumps. Over this warm mixture, we add the yeast rubbed with a tablespoon of sugar, mix, and let it rise until it doubles in volume.

In a pot, we heat the lard, butter, and oil, allowing them to melt gently. We make a well in the center of the sifted flour and add the risen sourdough. We mix the eggs with the warm milk and essences, then we start kneading the dough, gradually adding the milk and egg mixture. After about 10 minutes of kneading, we turn the dough onto the work surface and start adding a little of the warm butter and oil, kneading continuously. It is important to knead the dough for about three-quarters of an hour until it becomes elastic and starts to bubble. Once the dough is ready, we place it back in the bowl, cover it with a clean towel, and let it rise in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

For the filling, we mix the egg whites with a pinch of salt, gradually adding sugar and continuing to mix until we obtain a firm and shiny meringue. We fold in the ground walnuts, gently mixing with a spatula, and finally add cocoa and raisins to give an even more intense flavor.

After the dough has risen, we divide it into 6 pieces that we knead lightly. Each piece is stretched by hand on the oiled work surface into a rectangular shape. Then, we spread the walnut mixture over the entire surface and roll it tightly. We braid two rolls together and place them in the baking pans lined with parchment paper. One of the cozonaci will be made in a bundt pan, which we grease with oil. We let the cozonaci rise for about three-quarters of an hour, then we brush them with egg yolk to achieve a nicely browned crust.

We place them in the preheated oven, at moderate heat, for about 50 minutes, until they are nicely browned. It is important not to open the oven door in the first 20 minutes, as it could affect the rising. When the cozonaci are ready, we take them out and let them cool in the kitchen in a warm place to maintain their fluffy texture. Enjoy them with your loved ones!