Panforte (Sienese Fruit and Nut Cake), the Original Recipe

Panforte is a Christmas cake from Siena whose history goes back a long way: from what we know, it started out as a sort of honey flatbread (“panmielato“), to which other ingredients such as fresh fruit were added over time. Because of the heat, the fruit tended to ferment and turn sour within a few days, taking on a sharp flavor, and the name of this cake slowly changed to “panforte“, or strong bread.

Over the years, people began making it only in the coldest months, and the fresh fruit was gradually replaced with candied fruit. The top was covered with a thin layer of pepper (“panpepato“, or peppered bread), which was abandoned for good in 1879, when Queen Margherita visited Siena and the Panforte Margherita was created in her honor, covered with a thin layer of powdered sugar.

And so panforte took on its current shape and flavor. The ingredients, unchanged since the 1500s, are first of all honey, followed in importance by candied orange and citron peel, as well as almonds and hazelnuts. If you’re ever passing through Siena, don’t miss the chance to try it fresh out of the oven and rediscover a cake with authentic, genuine flavors… but in the meantime, you can enjoy a homemade version with our traditional recipe.