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Zelten
Fig, walnut and raisin Christmas loaf
Zelten: Trentino's Christmas fruit loaf of figs, raisins, walnuts and pine nuts
Zelten comes from the Alpine valleys of Trentino and South Tyrol, where it is baked around St Lucy's Day and eaten slowly until Epiphany, a slice at a time after Christmas dinner. The Trentino version is a dark, dense cake packed with dried figs, raisins, walnuts and pine nuts in just enough soft yeasted dough, topped with a pattern of whole nuts and cherries. Grappa or rum is usually poured over the fruit; here it is soaked in warm orange juice, and adults can add 2 tbsp rum to the soak. It keeps for 3 weeks wrapped. Chef's tip: press the decorative nuts in firmly before baking, or they pop off as the loaf rises.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the fruit
- 7 oz dried figsdiced
- 5 ½ oz raisins
- 2 ⅞ oz pitted dateschopped
- 1 ¾ oz candied citron or orange peelchopped
- ½ cup orange juicewarmed
- 3 ½ oz walnutschopped
- 1 ⅜ oz pine nuts
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
For the dough
- 9 oz plain flour
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- ½ cup lukewarm milk
- 1 ¾ oz buttermelted
- 1 pinch salt
To decorate
- 6 glacé cherrieshalved
- 1 tbsp honeywarmed, to glaze
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 7 oz dried figs, 5 ½ oz raisins, 2 ⅞ oz pitted dates and 1 ¾ oz candied citron or orange peel with ½ cup orange juice and leave to soak for at least 1 hour or overnight.
5 minStep 2: Mix 9 oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar and 1 pinch salt, add ½ cup lukewarm milk and 1 ¾ oz butter and knead for 6 minutes to a soft dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour, until puffy.
6 minStep 3: Work 3 ½ oz walnuts, 1 ⅜ oz pine nuts, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and the soaked fruit with any juice into the dough with your hands. It will be heavy and sticky.
Step 4: Line a 24 cm round tin or a tray with baking paper and press the mixture into a flat round about 3 cm thick. Press 12 walnut halves, 12 blanched almonds and 6 glacé cherries into the top in a ring pattern. Leave for 30 minutes.
Step 5: Bake at 350°F (300°F fan) for 45–50 minutes, until deep brown and a skewer comes out clean from the centre. A common mistake is a hot oven: the sugary fruit burns before the middle is cooked, so cover with foil if it browns early.
50 minStep 6: Brush the warm top with 1 tbsp honey, cool, then wrap and leave a day before slicing thinly.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zelten take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of orange juice?
- Mandarin or pineapple juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of walnuts?
- Pecans or chocolate chips, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas