The Torta delle Rose (Rose Cake) is a traditional dessert from the cities of Mantua and Brescia. It is made with a type of brioche dough that is filled with jam or a mixture of sugar and butter, then rolled up and arranged in a baking dish to form the distinctive shape of a basket of rosebuds.

I filled this version with a fragrant homemade bergamot marmalade gifted to me by Francesca. Bergamot marmalade is a rarity, especially here in the U.S., as it’s not easy to find. The result is a soft, melt-in-your-mouth cake, delicately scented with the citrus aroma of bergamot. You can also use other types of not-too-sweet marmalades, such as bitter orange, raspberry, lemon, or mixed berries.

Ingredients

For the dough

• Bread flour, 250 grams
• All-purpose flour, 250 grams
• Active dry yeast, 7 grams
• Milk, 300 ml
• Sugar, 80 grams
• Butter, 70 grams
• Large egg, 1 (or two small ones), at room temperature
• Grated zest of organic orange

For the filling

Bergamot marmalade or other not-too-sweet jam, 120 g

For the topping

Powdered sugar

Instructions

Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm milk.

Melt the butter over the stove or microwave. Grate the orange zest into the melted butter and set aside to cool.

Mix the milk with the melted butter, then add the egg and stir to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the two types of flour and sugar.

Pour the milk-butter-egg-yeast mixture into the flour mixture.

Knead until you obtain a smooth, elastic dough.
If using a stand mixer, start with the paddle attachment, then switch to the dough hook.

Lightly flour a clean bowl, place the dough inside, cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 3 hours.

Once the dough has risen, transfer it to a work surface and gently deflate it.

Use your hands first to flatten the dough into a rectangle, then a rolling pin until it becomes about 0.5 cm thick.

Spread the marmalade evenly over the rectangle, then roll it up tightly.

Cut the roll into slices about 2.5 cm thick. Place the slices cut-side up in a 22 cm baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Cover and let the dough rise again for about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F).

Bake the cake in a static oven for about 40 minutes, or until the surface is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let the rose cake cool completely.

Once cooled, place it on a serving plate and dust with powdered sugar.

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