A circular, sweet cake known as panpepato or pampepato is typical of the provinces of Ferrara, Siena, Terni, Sabina, and the Valle Latina. A variety of panforte is panpepato.

Homemade Panpepato Cake Recipe
The chocolate cake panpepato, also called pampapato, is thick and dense and contains candied citrus, roasted nuts, and spices. In the Italian city of Ferrara, which is located in the Emilia-Romagna area, this sinfully delicious recipe for a snack or dessert is a local custom. In the regions of Tuscany and Campania, there are comparable but significantly distinct variants.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour sifted
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder sifted
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup candied lemon or orange peel chopped
- ¼ cup toasted almonds chopped
- ¼ cup toasted hazelnuts chopped
- ½ cup pourable honey
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Ready all the ingredients? Let's start!
- The oven should be heated to 325°F. Set aside a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
- Mix the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, nutmeg, and salt in a sizable mixing basin. Add the almonds, hazelnuts, and candied citrus peel after stirring.
- Stir in the milk and honey to thoroughly blend.
- To ensure that everything combines into a dough ball, use clean hands. If the mixture becomes too wet to roll into a ball, you might need to add more flour. The ball should be flattened into a small dome by being placed on the baking sheet and pressed down.
- Place the baked cake on a rack over a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper, and let it cool.
- The chocolate chips should be put in a heat-resistant bowl over a pot of simmering water. Trying not to burn it, stir the chocolate until it just melts.
- The melted chocolate should be drizzled or poured over the cake, then let to cool and harden.
- Dust the chocolate with powdered sugar once it has cooled and hardened, if you want. Slice it into wedges or serving sizes, then devour.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
- Carbohydrates: 64g
- Protein: 8g
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 2mg
- Sodium: 92mg
- Potassium: 422mg
- Fiber: 6g
- Sugar: 35g
- Vitamin A: 72IU
- Vitamin C: 11mg
- Calcium: 162mg
- Iron: 3mg
Final Thought:
A rich, dense chocolate cake with candied citrus, toasted nuts, and spices is called panpepato, often spelled pampapato. In the Italian city of Ferrara, which is located in the Emilia-Romagna area, making this decadently black dessert or snack is a tradition. In Tuscany and Campania, similar but significantly different variations can be found.