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Rab Cake

Rab Cake

It is believed that this cake was first served in 1177. to Pope Alexander III when he blessed Rab island Cathedral. What is certain is that it was a specialty during the rule of Venice over 300 years ago, and it was only served in the homes of island’s wealthy families.

The original recipe and all the details of it’s preparation was a secret, and only a few women knew it and passed it to their descendants. Today, it is a must try when visiting the island.

My humble attempt of this cake looks nothing like the real one, but the taste is wonderful, and almost indescribable.

Rab Cake

Rab Cake
(original recipe)

Dough: Knead dough with 200 g sifted flour, 2 Tbsp pork fat, 2 beaten eggs, 2 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp water and 1/2 Tbsp Maraschino (substitute with cherry brandy if you can’t find it). If necessary add more flour or water to get the dough like for homemade pasta. Put it in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool.

Filling: Mix together 500 g ground blanched almonds, 500 g sugar, 6 Tbsp Maraschino, zest of 1/2 of lemon, zest of 1/2 orange and 3 eggs.

Assembly: Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Take one part and flatten it very thin. Cut a snail looking shape using pasta wheel like on this photo. Place filling on it, leaving the edges of the dough free. Flatten the second piece of dough and using pasta wheel, cut out ribbons, 1,5-2 cm width. Brush the edges of the snail with cold water and start sticking ribbons on it’s sides, wrinkling them with your hands (photo). Bake in a preheated oven on 100°C for 30-40 minutes. When it cools, dust generously with powdered sugar.

Video on making Rab cake.

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22 Comments

  • cosmo2503 April 30, 2010 6:02 am

    Prekrasna je, savršeno si je napravila. Veoma volim ovu tortu i ona je za mene gastronomska ikona. Puž je sigurno i jedan od najdekorativnijih oblika.

  • Maninas April 30, 2010 7:22 am

    Stvarno impresivna torta! Gotovo da ima istocnjacki duh.

  • whisk-kid April 30, 2010 7:28 am

    This sounds awesome :)

  • Snježa April 30, 2010 7:39 am

    Ajme, prekrsna je…

  • Vera April 30, 2010 9:31 am

    Marija,savrsena je!

  • Ana Powell April 30, 2010 10:59 am

    Hi MarijaCongratulations on your work, absolutely awesome.Delicious cake, loved your photos.Wishing you a great weekend x

  • maslinka April 30, 2010 1:42 pm

    Fantasticno si je napravila!

  • Ebba May 1, 2010 1:14 am

    na tvojim fotkama izgleda perfektno ova torta, pogotovo za prvi put.. a u okus uopće ne sumnjam..morat ću se i ja uhvatit u koštac s ovom tortom jer je skroz privlačna ;))

  • Indigo May 1, 2010 2:09 am

    I reallyyy want to make this but I looked at the original recipe and it said 15g (!!) of flour – did you raise this deliberately, or did you try it with less first and find it didn't work for you? It seems a ridiculously small amount of flour for the liquid, but…Yours is stunning, anyway, it sounds the sort of thing I'd adore.

  • Marija May 1, 2010 2:50 am

    Indigo,Yes, it says 150g in the original, but at the same time, in the directions section says to start with 200g so I used 200 g. While kneading the dough I only added a tablespoon or two more flour.Marija

  • Andrea May 1, 2010 7:30 am

    Marija, torta ti je ispala apsolutno savršeno. :)

  • Snjezana May 1, 2010 5:28 pm

    prekrasna izvedba marija!:)))

  • Chef Dennis May 1, 2010 5:42 pm

    what a great cake …..I wish I had a piece right now..

  • Dani May 2, 2010 2:03 am

    Everything is so delicious, Maria. Thank you for the recipe. I have a bealtiful blogger award in my blog. Come and get it. Best regards

  • Lauren May 2, 2010 2:08 am

    This looks delicious, and your photos are wonderful as usual! Recently I got the Happy 101 award – I would love to pass it along to you, as your blog deserves it! You can see more details on my blog.

  • Katie May 2, 2010 3:33 am

    I've never heard of this cake but it looks wonderful.

  • Tadeja May 3, 2010 1:15 am

    Super ti je ispala, čitava tri kruga! :)

  • Dilajla May 3, 2010 4:19 am

    Divno ti je uspijela i predivne slikice.

  • Anna May 4, 2010 12:02 pm

    What a pretty cake! I love that it looks rustic and elegant at the same time.

  • farida May 4, 2010 1:48 pm

    So glad the secret is out:) This looks like one great cake. Unusual!

  • INNA October 29, 2011 9:56 am

    what can i substitute pork fat with?

    • Marija October 29, 2011 1:09 pm

      Inna, you can use butter instead.

Comments are closed.