Tuscan Grape Harvest Cake

Rating: 3.9/5. From 57 votes.
Please wait...
Print

Tuscan Grape Harvest Cake

In Tuscany, this complex-flavoured but simple to make cake is only made for a few weeks a year, when the small, sweet, seedy red grapes are around (many are “gleaned” in the vineyards after the harvest). Use the sweetest red grapes you can.

  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 10

Ingredients

  • 200g (7 oz) white flour
  • 100g (3 oz) light brown sugar, and a little for the top
  • Half tablespoon baking powder (enough for 250g/8oz flour)
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 large sprigs rosemary
  • 100g (3 oz) walnuts, shelled and broken up
  • Half a cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 kg (2 lb) small flavoursome red grapes, washed (the Tuscan ones have lots of seeds!)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven at 175°C/ 350°F
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and the eggs.
  3. Remove the rosemary from the stems and add to the olive oil in a saucepan.
  4. Put this on a slow flame and allow to bubble gently for a few seconds.
  5. Add the oil and rosemary to the flour mixture.
  6. Mix this well to amalgamate the ingredients.
  7. Work in the grapes and walnuts using your hands, breaking up the grapes a little but not too much.
  8. Line a baking dish with baking paper and use your hands to spread out the mixture.
  9. Sprinkle with sugar.
  10. Bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!