Try a buckwheat hazelnut flourless cake with raspberry jam for a fun Father’s Day treat. This healthy, delicious, and gluten-free cake is a favorite of Italy’s Dolomite region, and known as Torta di Grano Saraceno (buckwheat) in Italian.

 

During our trip to Italy last fall, my husband Steve and I took a food tour in Bolzano, where our tour guide introduced us to this treat. I immediately fell in love with this unique cake.

 

This part of Italy is heavily influenced by Germany and Austria. The cake is a regional specialty with a nutty texture from the buckwheat.

 

When recently baking for a friend, I used a plant-based sweetener because she can’t eat sugar. But you can certainly use sugar.

 

Enjoy your buckwheat hazelnut flourless cake with raspberry jam! It will be a perfect new recipe for Father’s Day.

 

 

 

200g salted butter, room temperature

180g sugar (I used erythritol and monk fruit – a plant-based sugar alternative)

5 large eggs (about 54g each, separate egg yolks and egg whites)

200g buckwheat flour

220g grated hazelnuts

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. baking powder

Zest from one lemon

½ cup raspberry jam (use your favorite brand)

1 tbsp. powdered sugar for dusting

 

Combine egg yolks, butter, and sugar (or sugar alternative) in a bowl and whip until smooth. Add the buckwheat flour, grated hazelnuts, vanilla, lemon zest, and baking powder. Mix until well combined.

 

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until fully incorporated.

 

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F (180°C).

 

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool. Once cooled, cut the cake in half horizontally.

 

Spread a layer of raspberry jam onto the bottom half of the cake. Then carefully place the top half of the cake over the jam layer and dust with powdered sugar.

 

Cut the cake into small pieces and serve with additional jam and/or whipped cream, if desired.