The Christmas season is the perfect time to indulge in rich, traditional recipes like chocolate panforte, a delicious combination of dried fruits, nuts, and dark chocolate.
My recipe is an adaptation of one taught to me by an Italian chef I worked for in my teens. Even after a trip to Siena, where panforte originates, it’s still the best chocolate panforte I’ve ever tasted.
Did you know: the direct translation of the word panforte is strong bread! The chef I learned my recipe from says the ‘strong’ part refers to both the density of the cake and its long keeping qualities.
A staple in Italian holiday baking, panforte is sometimes described as a cross between fruit cake and nut cake, but it truly stands alone in flavor and texture. Also called panforte di Siena, or Siena cake, it dates back to medieval times in the Tuscany region of Italy, where bakers still make many unique versions today.
Panforte can appear daunting to make when you look at the long ingredient list, but don’t be put off! The process is straightforward once you have the ingredients.
This chocolate panforte recipe combines cocoa powder (don’t use cacao powder here, you need the depth of darker cocoa flavors) and spices with lots of nuts and dried fruits. The dry ingredients are mixed with a melted chocolate and honey syrup to bind everything together, creating a dense, chewy cake that keeps well for months and improves as it ages.
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The perfect combination of flavors for the best panforte
One of the best things about chocolate panforte is its versatility. You can vary the dried fruits and nuts based on what’s available to create your own panforte. My version is one I’ve arrived at over years of trial and error, but I like that five people could make this recipe five different ways, and they’d all taste fantastic!
In this recipe, we use a mix of almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, and macadamia nuts, with dates, candied apricots, figs, and cherries adding a natural sweetness and chew. This fruit and nut mixture gives the cake its distinct texture and is a welcome contrast to the soft chocolate and honey mixture.
There’s a lot going on in the panforte so you don’t need to use the most premium chocolate here. A store brand semisweet or bittersweet is fine.
Love this recipe? Try these other delectable holiday desserts!
Siena Cake (Panforte di Siena) with Ginger, Apricots and Macadamia Nuts
The Best Pecan Biscotti with Chocolate and Raisins
Hazelnut and Coffee Biscotti Recipe for Holiday Gifting
The Best Easy Gingerbread Cookies Without Molasses
Simple Old Fashioned Christmas Butter Cookies
Preparing your chocolate panforte ingredients
Gather and prepare your ingredients before starting, as panforte comes together quickly once you begin.
First, you’ll need a large bowl to mix the dry ingredients. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and spices over the nuts. I use white pepper for background heat but finely ground black pepper is a good substitute. The other spices—cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg—give panforte its festive aroma, perfect for the Christmas season.
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Next, add the chopped dried fruits to the flour blend. Tossing through the dry ingredients helps the fruits and nuts incorporate evenly throughout the cake. Use a large wooden spoon to stir the mixture.
Making the honey and chocolate mixture for panforte
Time for the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the honey, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and a few tablespoons of water. Heat this mixture over medium heat, stirring gently, until the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar is dissolved, let the mixture boil for a minute, but no longer. Keep a close eye on it and make sure the mixture doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
Remove the syrup from heat and add the dark chocolate, then stir until it melts completely. The hot syrup should be smooth and glossy before you pour it over the nut mixture.
Stir very well with the wooden spoon, and don’t be afraid to ditch the spoon and use wet hands to combine everything evenly, as it’ll be thick and sticky.
Baking your panforte
Divide the mixture into two equal portions and press each one into a prepared tin. Use a circle of parchment paper greased with a bit of oil underneath the mixture. This helps the panforte release smoothly.
If you don’t have regular round pans, you can use spring form pans (they do make it easier to remove the cakes after baking). Panforte should be packed tightly into the prepared pan so it has the right density after baking. If you’re struggling to press it down neatly, wet hands will help with pressing the mixture.
Bake the chocolate panforte at a low oven temperature (300°F/150°C) until the edges are set but the center remains slightly soft. Be careful with the baking time! It’s better to slightly underbake, as overbaking can dry out the cake. You’ll know it’s done when the sheen disappears from the top of the cake and it takes on a more dull, matt appearance.
Let the panforte cool in the pans, then turn out by running a small metal spatula or knife around the edge and inverting the pan.
Storing, serving, and gifting panforte
Panforte is best stored in an airtight container or well-wrapped in a cool dry place. Cool room temperature is fine, but if you live somewhere hot keep it in the fridge. Your chocolate panforte will keep for up to a few months and tastes best after it has matured for at least a few days, as the flavors meld and develop.
When it’s time to serve, dust the top of the cake with icing sugar or powdered sugar. Cut into thin wedges and enjoy!
Good to know: You can make smaller cakes for gifting; the recipe will divide nicely into 6 x 4-inch/10cm pans. Or do as I do and cut larger cakes into quarters. Wrap each piece in wax paper and a layer of brown kraft paper, tying it with twine for a rustic, festive look. Alternatively, a bit of cellophane and a colorful ribbon make for a more modern gift wrap.
This chocolate panforte recipe is not just a delicious Christmas recipe; it’s also an edible tradition that brings a taste of Italy into your home. With the combination of warm spices, crunchy nuts, and the deep richness of dark chocolate, panforte is perfect for any special occasion at this time of the year. Give it a try, and don’t be surprised if it becomes an annual holiday favorite!
Have you made and enjoyed this recipe? I’d love if you’d be kind enough to rate and review it via the stars in the recipe card, and leave a comment below! Ratings and reviews help other readers to find and understand my recipes from a reader’s perspective.
Chocolate Panforte
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plain flour
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder I use Dutch processed cocoa
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1 cup chopped pitted dates 1/2" (1cm) pieces
- 1 cup chopped soft dried figs 1/2" (1cm) pieces
- 1 cup chopped candied apricots glace apricots, 1/2" (1cm) pieces
- 1 cup candied cherries glace cherries, red or green, halved
- 2/3 cup almonds whole, toasted
- 2/3 cup cashew nuts roughly chopped, toasted
- 2/3 cup hazelnuts skinned, whole, toasted
- 2/3 cup macadamia nuts roughly chopped, toasted
- 1/4 cup clear honey
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks semisweet or bittersweet; chips are ok if they'll melt easily
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300°F/150°C (convection temperature, no steam for my combi steam readers!). Grease 2 x 8 inch (20cm) round cake pans and line the bases with well-greased parchment paper. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, cocoa and spices into a large bowl and whisk to combine.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 Tbsp cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- Add the chopped dried and candied fruits to the bowl, and stir well to separate the pieces and coat them all with the flour mixture.1 cup chopped pitted dates, 1 cup chopped soft dried figs, 1 cup chopped candied apricots, 1 cup candied cherries
- Add the toasted nuts to the bowl and stir well.2/3 cup almonds, 2/3 cup cashew nuts, 2/3 cup hazelnuts, 2/3 cup macadamia nuts
- Put the honey, both sugars and 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is melted and the mixture comes to the boil. Let it boil for 1 minute (no more!), then remove from heat.1/4 cup clear honey, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- Tip the chocolate into the hot honey mixture and stir until it's melted and smooth. Pour this chocolate syrup into the flour, fruit and nuts, and stir very well to combine everything. The mixture will be very stiff and glossy to look at, and there shouldn't be any streaks of flour left.1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans and press it down evenly to make flat, relatively smooth cakes. It won't rise in the oven so make sure it's nice and even at this point.
- Bake the panforte until it's set all over but still soft in the center, about 40-45 minutes. Do not overbake it! It's better to be slightly underbaked than overbaked. It's done when the whole cake looks a little dull on the surface, rather than shiny and glossy.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely in the pans, before running a knife around the edges and turning out.
- Just before serving, dust the top of the panforte with powdered sugar. Serve in very thin slices. Chocolate panforte is best after it's had at least a few days (and preferably a couple of weeks) to mature. It will keep, well wrapped in a cool, dark place, for several months.
Notes
- The dried fruits and nuts in this recipe can be interchanged with equivalent volumes of different fruits and nuts. If one or more of the stated fruits/nuts are hard to get, substitute extra of the others or replace altogether with another type. I would always include the dates as well as some variety of candied fruits for their texture and sweetness. And the almonds and hazelnuts are a must in our house, but other nuts are welcome in place of the cashews and macadamias.
- Panforte is an excellent food gift that travels and ships well, and lasts a long time. If you’re gifting, you can make smaller versions of the cakes. The recipe quantities will make 6 4-inch (10cm) rounds. Or, do as I do and cut the larger cakes into quarters for gifts. The traditional packaging is wax paper with a layer of brown (kraft) paper on the outside, and twine tied around the package. I sometimes use clear cellophane and a pretty ribbon instead.
- The nutritional information for this recipe is for each cake, not per serving! You’ll get about 20-30 thin slices of panforte from each cake, so they do go a long way. They’re a lovely end to a big meal, or a small sweet snack with coffee.
