grapes Archives | Marisa's Italian Kitchen

An incredibly moist Italian Grape Cake Recipe made with olive oil and scented with orange zest, almond and a hint of thyme. It’s an Italian-style harvest cake and a simple yet perfect way of baking with grapes.

Fall is fast approaching and with it comes a whole new season of culinary delights.

In Italy, grapes are harvested between the end of August to mid October. During this period it’s quite customary to present a dish or sweet treat with the newly harvested foods.

Alas, since I’m nowhere near Italy at the moment, I look no further than my favourite farmer’s market for the best grapes I could find.

Which now begs the question, have you spotted these Thomcord grapes yet?

Thomcord grapes are a hybrid of the seedless Thompson grapes. They’re very thin skinned and with the sweetest aromatic taste ever.

If not for the fact that they are packaged and sold in clusters while still intact on their vine, one would seriously think these tiny grapes are blueberries.

And much like blueberries the thin skin clings to the grape when bitten into.

And now begs another question! Have you ever baked with grapes before?

If not then all I can say is…oh my goodness…you’re missing out my friend!

When baked these fresh grapes turn a deep purple hue in color with pools of soft jammy goodness.

With this olive oil grape cake, each bite has a burst of sweetness and is complimented with the citrus, almond scent and hint of thyme.

It stays incredibly moist for days and has a lovely contrast in texture with some crunchy sliced almonds scattered over the grape cake.

Lets bake this Italian-style cake shall we!

How to Make an Italian Grape Cake

Start by sifting together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. And set the flour mixture aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs with the granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in color. About 3 minutes.

Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme to the egg mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.

Fold in 1 cup of grapes with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the cake batter into a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan. Or grease with your favourite baking product.
Scatter the remaining cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds

Bake the grape cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes.
When ready the cake will be deep golden brown in color and should spring back when touched with your fingertip.
Alternately, you can check for doneness with a small wooden skewer. If a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean then it’s ready.

Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes before releasing the cake from the springform pan.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar just before serving.
Garnish with sugared grapes if desired. (check instructions below on how to make sugared grapes)

How to Make Sugared Grapes for Garnishing

Making sugared grapes is really quite easy but does require a little patience. Most of the time involved is inactive time.

To make the sugared grapes for garnishing, you’ll need:

3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup
1/3 water cup

First, we’ll make a simple syrup. Place 1/3 cup of sugar and equal part water in a small stock pot. Heat on medium low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture while turning to coat all over.

Transfer to a wire rack and let the grapes dry for 1 hour.

Then, roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar while taking care to cover the entire surface of the grapes.

Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour so that the sugar adheres to the grapes.

These sugared grapes add a pretty touch and also compliments this grape studded cake. But really, you can use them to garnish any sweet treat. They would also be perfect to serve with cocktails.

If planning ahead you’ll be happy to know that this Italian Grape Cake Recipe will stay fresh for quite a few days. And, it actually tastes better the following day!

It’s moist. Flavourful. And not too sweet. Making it a perfect breakfast cake or a special treat for brunch!

Happy Baking!

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Italian Grape Cake Recipe

An incredibly moist Italian Grape Cake Recipe made with olive oil and scented with orange zest, almond and a hint of thyme. It's an Italian-style harvest cake and a simple yet perfect way of baking with grapes.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Harvest Cake, Italian Grape Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Equipment

9 inch spring form pan

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup almond milk or regular milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
orange zest from 1 medium orange
1 teaspoon thyme leaves optional
2 cups small seedless grapes such as Thomcord, Thompson or Concord divided (1 cup in cake batter and 1 cup to scatter over top)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting over the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in colour. About 3 minutes.
Mix in the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme until well incorporated.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
Fold in 1 cup of the grapes with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and level off with the back of a spoon.
Scatter the remaining 1 cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
When ready the cake will have a deep golden brown colour and springs back to the touch. Or, if a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean then it's ready.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
Run a knife alongside the edges of the pan and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Release the cake from the springform pan and cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Garnish with sugared grapes or fresh thyme leaves if desired. (see notes below on how to make sugared grapes)

Notes

Ingredients for sugared grapes:

3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup
1/3 water cup

Simple Syrup:

Place 1/3 cup of sugar and equal part water in a small stock pot.

Heat on medium low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture, turning to coat all over.

Transfer to a wire rack and let the grapes dry for 1 hour.

Roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar while taking care to cover the grapes all over with the sugar.

Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour so that the sugar adheres to the grapes.

Enjoy as a garnish for decorating sweet treats.

Nutrition

Schiacciata con l’uva is a sweet flatbread with grapes. More commonly known as focaccia, this flatbread is a seasonal dish made yearly during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

This recipe was originally published in October of 2016 and republished September 14, 2018 with updated content and photos.

There is much to embrace with the arrival of Fall. As the days get cooler and the air turns crisp, I get this sudden urge to roll up my sleeves and delve into the magical world of bread making. Or any sort of baking for that matter and wanting only to come up for air well after the Christmas holidays. Is it just me or do any of you feel the same way?

A little about coronation grapes

This time of the year grocery stores and local farmer’s markets are laden with thin skinned, seedless coronation grapes. A rather regal name for these Ontario blue grapes is it not!

They are vibrant blue in colour much like their relative the concord grape and quite interchangeable when making schiacciata con l’uva. Also, they have a deliciously sweet taste that simply bursts in the mouth, making them a perfect choice for baking or even preserving.

The sweetness of the coronation grape pairs beautifully with the savoury rosemary. Once baked you’ll find they mimic the taste of grape jam on toast. Definitely a lip smacking and finger licking delicacy!

This Tuscan flatbread consists of two layers of dough which are sandwiched together with a filling of seedless blue grapes, a sprinkle of sugar, chopped rosemary and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and topped with more of the same filling.

It’s then baked to a golden brown perfection with yummy crispy edges that we all love.

You can slice and enjoy as is while still warm with the grapes oozing their irresistible sweet juices. Or simply dust the tops with a sprinkle of icing sugar for some extra sweetness.

Gather friends or family around your kitchen and bake some today! I’m sure it will become a new favourite seasonal recipe!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Schiacciata Con L'uva

Schiacciata con l'uva is a sweet flatbread with grapes, a seasonal dish that is traditionally made during the grape harvest in Tuscany.

Course: Tuscan Flatbread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: pieces

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

Focaccia dough
2 cups water
4 tbs olive oil
4 to 5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 packet “quick rise” instant yeast Fleischmann’s 8 grams
Topping
2 cups grapes picked off the stem
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions

Heat 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of olive oil in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds or till lukewarm.
Stir the warm liquids in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon, mixing well.
Stir in another cup of flour till combined.
Invert the dough onto a well floured counter and knead for a few minutes, working in the last cup of flour a bit at a time just until the dough is soft and smooth. (I only used up to 1/2 cup of the remaining flour).
Grease a large bowl with some olive oil. Place your pizza dough in the greased bowl turning the dough to grease all over. Cover with saran wrap.
Let it rise till it doubles in size for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, in a draft free place. (on a sunny day I place my bowl in direct sunlight and this helps tremendously with the rising).
When your dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a floured work space.
Grease a 17x11 rimmed baking sheet (or any large baking sheet you have) with some olive oil and then lightly sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. This will prevent the dough from sticking to the pan and impart a lovely crunch.
Cut the dough in half and working with one piece at a time roll it out to the size of your pan. (its ok if it does not entirely reach the edges).
Place the first layer of rolled out dough on your prepared pan.
Layer 1 cup of the grapes, evenly spread, onto the dough while pressing them slightly into the dough.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary, evenly onto the first layer of dough. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Roll out the second piece of dough and layer it onto prepared first layer. Press down slightly and pinch the edges together.
Spread the remaining grapes over the top layer of dough, again pressing down into the dough.
Sprinkle with an additional 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary.
Drizzle more extra virgin olive oil evenly over the top layer.
Bake the flatbread in a preheated oven, at 350 degrees F, for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the dough is a nice golden brown and the grapes are oozing with delicious goodness.