Italian Christmas Cookie Cake
If you’re Italian, then I’m sure you are quite familiar with the frosted anise cookies with colored sprinkles on top that usually show up for the Christmas and Easter holidays. They were definitely a favorite of mine, and I preferred them over chocolate chip cookies when I was a kid!
So, it was no surprise that when I came across this recipe for an Italian Christmas cookie cake, I was stopped cold in my tracks when I read the blogger’s comments:
“Inspired by a sugar cookie and featuring ricotta and olive oil, this Italian sweet cake is about to become the best you’ve ever tasted. Ever. Ever.”
See what I mean?
Well, it just so happened that at the time I was trying to decide what cake I should make for my sister’s birthday. Since eggplant parmigiana was on the menu, I decided that this would be the perfect cake to finish off our celebratory birthday dinner. It was indeed a special celebration as we had all been fully vaccinated, and enough time had passed since our second shots, so we felt quite safe in enjoying a meal together at long last.
But back to this special cake…the original recipe called for almond extract rather than anise. I decided to go with it, and it was fabulous. Having said that, I believe that substituting anise extract for the almond will be even better when I make it next time—and there most definitely will be a next time!
I know the word “moist” is overused when describing cakes and other baked goods, but I have to use it again here. The ricotta and olive oil make it very moist, and it just melts in your mouth. I found that it was almost equally moist on Days 3 and 4.
The cake is super easy to throw together as it calls for a cake mix as one of the ingredients. The recipe specified using a Betty Crocker Super Moist French vanilla cake mix, and that’s what I used. I don’t see any reason, however, why you can’t just use a Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow cake mix as it might be easier to find than the French vanilla flavor. That’s what I plan to use next time, and I will substitute anise extract for the almond to mimic my favorite childhood cookie. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this frantastic cake!
Italian Christmas Cookie Cake
Ingredients for Cake
- 1 (15.25 oz.) box Betty Crocker Super Moist French vanilla cake mix*
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese, drained of excess fluid
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. almond extract (can sub anise extract)
You’ll know that your life challenges needed to happen exactly the way they did for your soul’s highest evolution and growth. After absorption, it is metabolized by the liver which suggests that they add 10 to 15 pounds to your frame if using Nandralone alone for your first cycle. The high risk merchant is very helpful sildenafil 100mg uk for all kinds of erectile dysfunction. Because of a continuing rivalry, every particular driving school make an effort to better its offer and the online driver education methods are continually improving to meet the needs of several types of clients.
*I used the French vanilla cake mix, but I don’t see any reason why you can’t use a Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow cake mix.
Ingredients for Glaze
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (If the glaze needs to be thinned, you can just add a little milk or water to get the consistency you want.)
- 3/4 tsp. of almond extract (can sub anise extract)
For Garnish: Nonpareil colored sprinkles
Fran’s Notes
The original recipe called for 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 1 tsp. of extract. There was a consensus among reviewers that it made way too much glaze. I scaled the amounts down to 3/4, and there was still plenty of glaze to cover the top and run “decoratively” down the sides of the cake. I say “decoratively” because, in my case, it was a glorious but delicious mess as it ran down the cake and over the sides of the cake stand and onto the counter. 🙂 Part of the problem was that the top of my cake wasn’t quite level and my glaze was a little too thin—easily corrected for next time.
Directions
Heat oven to 325º F. Spray a 9” springform pan with baking spray.
In a stand mixer, stir together cake mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. Add ricotta and stir to blend. Mix in heavy cream, followed by olive oil. Then add eggs, one at a time. Add almond (or anise) extract and beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from springform pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup heavy cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. If the glaze is too thick, you can add just a little more milk or water to get it to a consistency where it will slightly run down the sides of the cake when you drizzle it over the top. Sprinkle with nonpareils. Allow frosting to set before slicing and serving.
Source: Adapted from a recipe by Cheeky Kitchen. Take a look at it here: