How to make spaghetti cake: try the Italian variation with shortcrust pastry!

Spaghetti is usually cooked with various sauces and casseroles, but spaghetti cake is something unusual. Try these spaghetti cake recipes and you will be amazed by the light and delicious taste!

How to make spaghetti cake

This is a cake that used to be prepared for festive occasions. Try this delicious cake, which is at the same time very easy to prepare!

Ingredients for the filling:

• 200 g/7 oz  amaretti
• 300 g/10,5 oz almonds
• 250 g/8,8 oz sugar
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of sweet cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 300 g/10,5 oz of fresh handmade pasta
• 400 g/14 oz of butter
• 1 glass of Sassolino (or any other liqueur)

Ingredients for the dough:

• 200 g/10,5 oz flour
• 50 g/1,7 oz butter
• 2 whole eggs
• 100 g/3,5 oz sugar
• the grated zest of a lemon
• a little Sassolino liqueur

Directions:

• Start with the dough for the base: sift 200 g/10,5 oz flour and drop it on the cutting board in the form of a heap. In the center put the softened butter, three whole eggs, the sugar, a little grated zest of a lemon and a tablespoon of Sassolino liqueur. Knead everything with your hands.
• When the dough is well kneaded, smooth, and without lumps, you can use a rolling pin to roll it out into a disk slightly larger than the mold in which the cake will be baked. The dough must also cover the side walls and stick well.
• Because it’s a seasoned dough – it contains butter and sugar – it’s a bit delicate and you’ll need to turn it every now and then to roll it out better. When it is the right size, it is placed in the mold previously greased with a little butter.
• A separate process is required to prepare the almonds. The shelled almonds must be toasted in a pan over a low heat for a few minutes without adding anything else. When they are lightly toasted, remove them from the heat and rub them with your hands to remove the skin. Then chop them finely, preferably with a sharp knife.
• Crumble the amaretti and add to the almonds. Then add the sugar, a tablespoon of flour, the lemon, the cocoa powder and three eggs to bind everything together. The dough is ready and can be spread over the disc of dough.
• To complete the preparation, regular thin noodles, such as those cooked in broth, must be prepared. You can also prepare them in advance, just make sure you store them where they don’t dry out completely (e.g. in the fridge).
• Then put the almond mixture on the dough base and finally the uncooked spaghetti. It is completed with the butter – 400 g/14 oz – which is used to cook the spaghetti and a glass of Sassolino poured over the mixture before putting it in the oven.
• Ideally, you should cook the spaghetti cake in a wood-fired oven while waiting for the embers to die down. Otherwise, you can cook it in an electric or gas oven at a temperature of 180 C/ 350 F degrees. It cooks in about 40 minutes.

Traditional Italian cake with shortcrust pastry

This spaghetti cake is a traditional cake from the Emilia region of Italy, whose success is attested by its widespread use and the consequent creation of multiple variations.

Ingredients:

• 200g/7 oz flour
• 180g/6.3 oz butter
• 100g/3,5 oz granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 lemon
• 70ml/2 oz bitter almond liqueur
• 30g candied orange peel
• powdered sugar
• 150g/5,3 oz skinless almonds
• 200g/7 oz fresh pasta

Directions:

• First prepare the shortcrust pastry for the pasta cake. Cut 100 g/3 oz butter into chunks and rub it with the flour. When the mass is sandy, add 40 g/1,4 oz of sugar and 1 egg. Knead the dough quickly and once ready, wrap in cling film and let rest in the fridge for thirty minutes. Then roll out the dough on a buttered and floured mold, trim off the excess dough by running the rolling pin over the edges, and prick the dough with a fork.
• Now it’s time to prepare the filling. Roast the almonds in a pan, then roughly chop and mix with 60 g/2 oz of sugar. Add two eggs, 50g/1,7 oz butter, grated lemon zest, thinly sliced candied oranges and two tablespoons of liqueur.
• Spread the filling and level well.
• Cover the entire surface of the cake with fresh, uncooked pasta. Sprinkle with butter and sugar. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 180°C/350F for 15 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake for another 25 minutes until golden brown. As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, drizzle with the remaining liqueur. Serve the cake cold after dusting it with powdered sugar.