Torta Russa di Verona

Name: Verona’s Russian Cake
Ingredients: 1 sheet prepared puff pastry; 8 tbsp melted butter, cooled to room temp.; 3/4 cup sugar; 3 eggs; 1 tsp almond extract; 1 cup almonds, finely ground; 1 1/14 cups flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 cup amaretti cookies, crushed; dusting confectioners' sugar; 1 9x2-inch springform pan

Torta Russa di Verona (Russian cake) was invented in the early 1960’s by a Veronese pastry chef who was working on a ship going to Odessa and is made with puff pastry that is filled with almonds and amaretti cookies. When baked, the shape resembles Russian hats.

Serves
8

Ingredients

1 sheet prepared puff pastry
8 tbsp melted butter, cooled to room temp.
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup almonds, finely ground
1 1/14 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup amaretti cookies, crushed
dusting confectioners' sugar
1 9x2-inch springform pan

Directions

Heat oven to 350F.
Roll the puff pastry out on a floured surface into an 18-inch diameter and line the pan, letting the excess pastry overhang the sides. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, beat the butter with all but 2 tablespoons of the sugar until combined and lemon colored.
Beat in the eggs one at a time until the batter is smooth. Stir in the almond extract.
In a separate bowl, combine the almonds with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and the amaretti cookies. Stir into the batter.
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together and combine with the batter. Fill the pastry-lined pan with the batter and evenly smooth it out.
Fold the overhanging sides of the pastry in towards the center. The pastry does not need to completely cover the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until nicely browned and firm to the touch.
When cool, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and serve cut into wedges.