Italian-Inspired Gluten-Free Pumpkin and Radicchio Cake Recipe (Torta di Zucca e Radicchio)

Prep Time 45 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Rest Time 15 mins

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Cooking Method: Baking

Cuisine: American, Italian

Courses: Dessert

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 12

Calories: 261 calories per serving

Best Season: Winter

Description

Late in the summer my wife and I were entertaining friends who were visiting for the weekend. For one of the dinners, I wanted to replicate a Belgian endive salad that we always enjoy at a local French Bistro in Seattle. However, endive was nowhere to be found, so as a backup I bought a head of radicchio, a type of leafy chicory featuring dark reddish-purple leaves and white veins that also has a bitter taste like endive. As luck would have it, I ended up finding the endive (at the 5th store) and was able to make the salad as planned. However, now I had a beautiful head of radicchio that I did not want to waste. I could save it for another salad but started exploring different uses for the dark, red beauty. Could I make a savory side dish? Saute it with garlic and butter? Possibly radicchio pesto? You’ll be surprised with what I found – Torta di Radicchio – yes, radicchio cake, care of Food52

I was attracted to this recipe because of my family’s origins in northern Italy, the creative use of radicchio in the recipe, and the simplicity of the cake. In a word, the cake was fabulous. Sweet, yet not sweet. Simple, yet elegant. I based my cake on the recipe from Food52, however, I made a gluten-free version, and instead of topping the cake with melted white chocolate, I made a white chocolate ganache to temper the sweetness a bit.

Several months later, I needed a simple cake for a holiday dinner party with friends. I thought about the Tardi di Radicchio but wanted to make the recipe my own and update it for the holidays, and yes still gluten-free. Given the time of year, I recently made pumpkin puree and had been using it in everyday cooking. Maybe pumpkin (and traditional holiday spices) could turn the simple cake into something special for the holidays. My experiment did not disappoint.

Ingredients

Cake

6 oz radicchio leaves
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp table sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp orange zest
128 g gluten free flour (without xanthan gum; see notes below)
1 tsp xanthan gum (only include if the gluten free flour you are using does not contain xanthan gum)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 whole eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

6 oz white chocolate (chips or bar)
1/4 cup half and half
1/8 cup powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

Cake

1
Preheat the oven to 350° F with a rack in the center and prepare an 8” cake pan with butter or oil (I use avocado oil spray) and a circle of parchment placed in the bottom of the pan.
2
Boil a medium-sized pot of water on the stove, with the juice of the lemon and two tablespoons of sugar. Pull apart the head of the radicchio, and trim off the thicker white center of each leaf. Add the trimmed radicchio leaves to the pot of boiling water and blanch for two minutes. Remove the radicchio and drain well in a colander. Set aside until cooled. Press out any excess water and chop finely.
3
Sift together gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
4
Sift together gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground ginger, allspice, cloves, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
5
Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients. Using a hand mixer on low speed, mix until all of the dry ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix; the batter will be thick.
6
Using a spatula, fold in the chopped radicchio; pour into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the batter with a knife or spatula. Let the batter rest on the counter for 15-30 minutes (see note below).
7
Place in a preheated 350° F oven on the center rack for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean; cool on a rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan and turn the cake over onto the rack and carefully remove the parchment paper. Set aside to completely cool while you prepare the ganache.

Ganache and Assembly

8
Place white chocolate (I use chips) in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave on high for one minute. Remove from the microwave and set aside.
9
Place white chocolate (I use chips) in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in a microwave on high for one minute. Remove from the microwave and set aside.
10
Whisk ¼ cup of warmed half-and-half into the melted white chocolate. Add more liquid if the ganache is too thick. The mixture should be slightly pourable.
11
Place the cake (still on the wire rack) on a counter protected with plastic wrap or parchment. Pour the ganache on the top of the cake until it falls over the edge and coats the whole cake. Let the ganache firm up on the cake for 15-30 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a cake stand or plate using a large offset icing spatula to lift the cake off the rack.
12
Dust the cake with powdered sugar using a fine mesh sieve; serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts

Servings 12

Amount Per Serving
Calories 261kcal

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 8.5g43%
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 240mg10%
Total Carbohydrate 31.8g11%
Dietary Fiber 0.9g4%
Sugars 21.1g
Protein 3g6%

Calcium 5 mg
Iron 4 mg
Vitamin D 46 IU

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Note

Gluten-Free Flour: I use a blend that I have modified, based on a recipe from ATK, The ATK recipe can be found in this cookbook. That blend does not contain xanthan gum, so I add it separately depending on the recipe.
If you are using a gluten-free blend that is not listed as a one-to-one replacement, it is important to weigh the flour. My gluten-free flour blend weighs 140 grams.
There are, however, many commercially available gluten-free flour blends at your local grocer or online. Here are several that are available from Amazon:
All of these flours do contain xanthan gum. So omit the extra xanthan if using one of these blends. All of the manufacturers promote these products as a one-to-one replacement.
Resting the batter: after mixing the batter, let it rest on the counter for 15-30 minutes. This allows the gluten-free flour to fully hydrate creating strength and eliminating a gritty texture.

Keywords: gluten free, gluten free cake, radicchio, radicchio cake, torta di zucca e radicchio