Make Carnival Cake Fritters: A Step-by-Step Guide

I want to share the tale of my favorite sweet that I always eat during Carnival in my town in Italy. Study how to make Carnival Cake fritters with this guide and the tips I’ve gathered from my experiences.

The Carnival in Italy

An explosion of colors at the Carnival in ItalyThis unique background has roots in the Middle Ages (around the 8th century) and has evolved with different nuances in each region over the centuries.

It is the joy of children who can employ their imagination with costumes of their favorite heroes. The carnival month of february is the most colorful and fun month of the year.

Once I was a kid in Milan Italy, I used to eat during carnival a cake called fritters (Fritelle). I loved those sweets together with the “Chiacchiere” that are the typical carnival cakes. These Carnival cakes are for me one of the top Carnival desserts. And this is the reason I wanted to explore how to make this carnival cake starting right asap. If you are looking for a very good and uncomplicated sweet to make during carnival you are in the right place to start.

Carnival Cakes: a tasty journey across Italy from North to South

In addition to the typical costumes, you must try the gastronomic specialties to truly exposure this festive holiday.

DessertsWe’re traveling from North to South across the peninsula to uncover the most traditional and delicious Italian Carnival cakes.

Let’s Explore Italian Carnival Cake Delights! 🎉

The Strauben, Carnival cakes of Trentino-Alto Adige

The Strauben are like the ultimate Carnival treat from Trentino-Alto Adige. To get that cool spiral shape, they pour the batter through a funnel. Once they’re nice and crispy, they dust the Strauben with icing sugar and sometimes add cranberry jam or a delicious apple or pear compote. The whole place smells of Strauben during holidays and town festivals, bringing out the fun and real Carnival vibe in Trentino.

The Fritole of the Venice Carnival

The Venetian Fritole have been around since the time of the Serenissima. Return in the day, they used to be made by street cooks called Fritoleri. The recipe calls for flour, eggs, sugar, raisins, milk, and rum, and the pancakes get a sprinkle of granulated sugar after they’re cooked. This yummy treat is a big part of the Venice Carnival tradition and Northern Italy as a whole. If you want more info, you can check out the Venice Carnival online platform here.

The Schiacciata Fiorentina

The Schiacciata Fiorentina is like the ultimate Carnival cake, all decked out with the classic fleur-de-lis symbol. It’s made with flour, sugar, butter, eggs, orange peel, orange juice, and a hint of baking powder. This fragrant cake has been around forever, but nowadays it’s way easier to make compared to the previous-school methods with double leavening and lard.

The Arancini from Marche Region

The Arancini marchigiani are these awesome fried cakes with a pinwheel shape, made with flour, oil, milk, and eggs. They’re flavored with granulated sugar and grated oranges, which gives them this intense scent and a unique flavor that makes them super iconic during the Carnival period.And the name of the dessert comes from its filling and orange flavoring, how cool is that?

The Struffoli or Cicerchiata

The Struffoli or Cicerchiata recipe is originally from Umbria and is a hit in the Centre-South of Italy, including Marche and Abruzzo. These classic Carnival treats are made with flour, grated lemon peel, butter, sugar, and mix, a sweet liqueur typical of central Italy.

They’re fried in seed oil and then jazzed up with honey and colorful sugar sprinkles, served in the shape of many little pieces resembling “ceci” (chickpeas), which is why it’s called “Cicerchiata” and “Struffolo” due to its rounded shape.

The Castagnole are these tiny zeppole guys made with butter, sugar, lemon zest, and yeast, fried up in some seed oil, and topped off with powdered sugar. If you wanna mix it up, throw some ricotta into the dough for a real soft texture.

It’s a classic Carnival treat with a recipe dating go back to the 18th century, found in an old manuscript in the State Archives of Viterbo, and it comes in four different variations.

The Chiacchiere directly from ancient Rome

At Carnival, ChiacchiereCarnival cakes in Italy. Their origin dates go back to the Roman period, when during the festivities of Saturnalia and Bacchanalia it was customary to consume sweets fried in pork fat.

Today, you can find Chiacchiere pretty much all over Italy, but they go by different names depending on the region. In Rome, Viterbo, and Ancona, they’re called Frappe, while in Tuscany, you’ll hear them called Cenci. In Friuli and Trentino, they’re known as Crostoli, while in Veneto, they go by Galani. And in Piedmont and Liguria, you’ll uncover them under the name Bugie.

The sweet Sanguinaccio

The sweet Sanguinacciodark chocolate, cocoa, milk, sugar, bits of citrus fruit, and flavored with cinnamon, rum, and vanilla.

This delicious dessert, once made with pig’s blood, is immediately forbidden. It’s a hit in various regions across Central and Southern Italy, including Marche, Puglia, Campania, and Calabria.

The Neapolitan tradition of Migliaccio

MigliaccioThe recipe involves mixing stuff like semolina, ricotta, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, citrus, and millefiori essence over heat, then baking the mix until it’s nice and golden.

One version even uses “capelli d’angelo” (angel hair) pasta. In Emilia-Romagna, they have their own version of Migliaccio, a twist on sweet Sanguinaccio, which includes pork blood, dark chocolate, cocoa, milk, candied fruit, eggs, and breadcrumbs all stuffed inside a dough and baked in the oven.

The Graffe of Carnival

The Graffe is a traditional Neapolitan dessert enjoyed throughout Italy, especially during the Carnival. This recipe requires flour, potatoes, butter, yeast, granulated sugar, grappa, grated lemon peel, and oil for frying.

DELICIOUS CARNIVAL FRITTERS

They’re like super popular Carnival snacks, you know?

And get this – you can whip them up in under 30 minutes! Serving up these awesome Carnival treats is a guaranteed achieve because they’re so darn delicious, both adults and kids just can’t get enough of them.

If you want to have a good crispy taste then you should go for frying the carnival pancakes.

Heat plenty of sunflower or peanut oil in a pot with high sides and bring it to a temperature of about 170-180°C / 338-356°F. When it’s hot (check the temperature with a thermometer), spoon or dip the mixture inside. After a few seconds turn the pancakes and let them fry with a slotted spoon.

When they are well browned, remove them with a slotted spoon and put them to drain on absorbent paper.

Once cold, decorate the pancakes with some powdered sugar and decide if you want to fill them with sweet or savory creams.

How to make oven-baked sweet Carnival cake fritters

Heat the oven with a fan or the air fryer and bring it to a temperature of about 170-180°C / 338-356°F. Let them cook for about 10 minutes.

When they are well browned, remove them from the muffin template with a long wooden toothpick and put them to drain on absorbent paper.

Once cold, decorate with some powdered sugar and decide how to fill them with sweet or savory creams.

Tips for making this carnival cake also called fritters

• You can also use dry brewer’s yeast by putting half the dose indicated.

• Always fry in plenty of oil so your foods will absorb less.

• This recipe can be baked.

• You can put powdered sugar but it will melt with the heat of the pancakes.

• Eat them very hot otherwise when they cool down they will no longer be the same.

• If you want, you can put inside raisins and sprinkle with powdered cinnamon as well as sugar.

How to keep carnival cakes

Carnival fritters are good freshly made but if you want to keep them, put them in a closed box for a day. I remind you that you can locate more recipes on mondosoling.site.

In Conclusion

Carnival season in Italy is a time of vibrant colors and joyous celebrations, featuring beloved Carnival cakes and fritters known as “Fritelle.” These treats captivate the taste buds of both young and old, and with the provided guidance, you can bring the spirit of the Italian Carnival into your own home. Embrace the joyful season by savoring the time-honored flavors of Carnival fritters and consider sharing this delightful culinary background with your loved ones.

If you are lucky enough to live in my city Hønefoss, Norway I can make them for you on our Kitchen in Mondosol.

People Also Scan

• Taste the Sweet Delicacy of Bussolai: An Italian Recipe
• Happy Birthday
• Houses for sale in italy for 1 euro – The Ultimate Guide
• Italy House for Sale: Exploring Your Options in Real Estate
• House for 1 Euro: House Buyers Guide, House Hunting in Italy