Serretto or “ Torta di Serretto” cake

This cake I thought got its name from Sorrento in Italy, but I was wrong, it’s not even spelt the same. Apparently it is named after a fictional chef called “Giovanni Serretto” from a drama series “ La Mappa Misteriosa,”. I know nothing about that but it does make a very nice cake so give it a go.

You will need.

225g/8oz butter

250g/9oz honey

100g/3½oz light brown sugar

3 large eggs

300g/10½oz Strong white flour

2tsp baking powder

1tsp fennel seeds

6tbsp chopped cooked chestnuts

4tbsp pine nuts

1tsp flaky sea salt

Start by melting the butter, honey and sugar together slowly in a pan on a low heat. Stirring every now and then to make sure that it all dissolves together. Now once everything has dissolved  bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer for 1 minute. Just keep an eye on it as boiling sugar you do not want the pan to boil over. Once you have let it cook take it off the heat and let it stand for about 20 minutes.

Now beat the eggs together and then add the now cooling honey mix. Then in a large mixing bowl sift the flour and baking powder then make a well in the centre. Pour the honey mix in to the centre and then working the flour in from the sided work the flour in to the honey.  Then add the fennel seeds and some chopped chest nuts.  Now you need to flour your chest nuts to stop them from sinking in the batter mix.

Pour the honey mixture into the flour and stir, gradually incorporating the flour. As soon as it is well combined, stir in the fennel seeds and 4 tablespoons of the chopped chestnuts. Butter and line a cake tin , preferably spring loaded and pour the batter mix in to the tin. Now take the reaming 2 tablespoons of  chestnuts , pine nuts and flaky sea salt mix them together and sprinkle on top of the cake.

Now in a preheated oven set 160c/325f bake for 45 to 60 minutes until the cake has risen. To see if it has cooked push a skewer into the centre, if it comes out clean it is done.

Once cooked take it out and let it cool on a rack. To finish the cake heat up some honey and brush it over the cake to give it a glaze. Once cool keep it in a tin and it will keep for about a week, serve hot or cold with whipped cream or ice-cream.  The salty nutty top gives it a very different taste to a normal cake.