Kwarezimal (Maltese Lenten Cake)

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Kwarezimal (Maltese Lenten Cake)

Kwarezimal (Maltese Lenten Cake) is a traditional Maltese recipe for a classic chocolate cake made with ground almonds that's flavoured with candied peel and citrus zest and which is typically served for lent. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Maltese version of: Maltese Lenten Cake (Kwarezimal).

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

Total Time:

40 minutes

Serves:

Rating:

Tags : Baking Recipes Cake Recipes Malta Recipes

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
60g margarine (or butter), melted and cooled
450g ground almonds
340g plain flour
110g wholemeal flour
2 tbsp orange flower water
250g sugar
120g candied peel, chopped
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
freshly-grated zest of 1 lemon
freshly-grated zest of 1 orange
water, to bind

For the Topping:
1 tsp honey
30g toasted nuts, chopped

Method:

Sift the flours into a bowl, then add the bran from the wholemeal flour to the bowl (this will be left in the sieve). Stir in the melted margarine (or butter) then add the orange flower water.

Now add all the remaining ingredients then stir to combine and form a well in the centre. Add just enough cold water to bring the ingredients together as a stiff dough. Knead this dough lightly then turn out onto a lightly-floured work surface.

Form the dough into shapes about 40cm x 8cm x 2.5cm thick. Transfer to a baking tray then place in an oven pre-heated to 170°C and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from the oven and whilst still hot brush the cake with the honey then sprinkle the chopped nuts on top. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.