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Dark panpepato cake on a wooden board with thin wedges cut, showing whole almonds and candied orange peel

Panpepato: Italian Spiced Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake

A dense Italian Christmas cake of toasted nuts, figs, candied orange peel, honey and black pepper, pressed into one pan and sliced thin.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 43 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 8 minutes
Servings: 12 wedges
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian (Umbrian)
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Fruit, nuts and dry mix
  • 150 g whole almonds skin on
  • 100 g hazelnuts
  • 100 g walnut halves
  • 120 g candied orange peel cut into 1 cm pieces
  • 100 g dried figs stems removed, cut into 1 cm pieces
  • 80 g raisins
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 30 g unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1 orange zest orange; finely grated
Honey chocolate syrup
  • 150 g mild honey
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 60 ml water
  • 60 g dark chocolate, 70% finely chopped

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F. Spread the almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. While they toast, cut the orange peel and figs into 1 cm pieces and line the base and sides of a 20 cm / 8-inch springform pan with parchment, leaving 2 cm of overhang.
  2. Rub the warm hazelnuts in a clean towel to loosen the skins, then roughly chop all the nuts into halves and quarters. Combine them in a 3-quart / 2.8 L mixing bowl with the orange peel, figs, raisins, flour, cocoa, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, salt and orange zest. Toss until every piece of fruit is coated in flour.
  3. Heat the honey, sugar and water in a 2-quart / 1.9 L saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer without stirring for 4 to 5 minutes, until the syrup reaches 110 C / 230 F and the bubbles turn slow and glossy. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir for 1 minute until smooth.
  4. Pour the hot syrup over the nut mixture at once and stir with a wooden spoon until no dry flour shows. The mixture will be stiff and sticky. With wet hands, press it firmly into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a damp spoon.
  5. Bake at 160 C / 320 F for 35 minutes, until the top looks matte, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and the center still gives a little under a finger. Don't wait for it to feel firm in the oven, since it sets as it cools and extra baking makes it hard.
  6. Cool the cake completely in the pan for 60 minutes. Lift it out using the parchment, wrap it in fresh parchment and then foil, and let it rest for 3 days before cutting it into 12 wedges.

Notes

  • Toast the nuts before chopping, since raw nuts make the cake taste flat.
  • Cool the cake completely in the pan, about 60 minutes, before lifting it out.
  • Grind the black pepper fresh, because pre-ground pepper tastes dusty here.
  • Wait 3 days before slicing so the spices settle into the honey.
  • Wet your hands before pressing the mixture into the pan so it doesn't stick.