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The Valentine’s Day Sweets of Emilia-Romagna

by /// January 17, 2025
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

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Do you want to surprise your loved one on Valentine’s Day and are you looking for something a little more original than the usual strawberries and chocolate?
The culinary tradition of Emilia-Romagna offers many ideas for cakes and desserts, ideal for celebrating Valentine’s Day in the sweetest way.

Torta Duchessa

Torta Duchessa Ph. @nonnapaperina
Torta Duchessa Ph. @nonnapaperina

The Torta Duchessa is the quintessential dessert of Parma and bears the name of the beloved Duchess Maria Luigia.

The origins of the cake and its name are shrouded in mystery. Legend has it that the Duchess Cake was created and named after the court confectioner in honour of Maria Luigia. Others claim that it was named because it was the Duchess’s favourite dessert, or that the cake was named after her later to associate the sweetness of the dessert with that of the beloved sovereign.

A rich, slightly alcoholic dessert, it looks delicious and elegant (perfect for Valentine’s Day) and can be found in all the best bakeries in the city, often in a mignon version. If you want to try your hand at making it at home, here is the recipe.

Torta Tenerina

Torta Tenerina Ph. @chiarasbakery
Torta Tenerina Ph. @chiarasbakery

Flat, crunchy on the outside but with a creamy heart, it is THE chocolate cake for the people of Ferrara.

Known since 1900 as Torta Montenegrina in honour of Elena Petrovich of Montenegro – the bride of the former King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III – it was later nicknamed Torta Tacolenta by the people of Ferrara because of its soft inner consistency. Today it is served with a sprinkling of icing sugar and often accompanied by a soft mascarpone cream.

Easy to make, we are sure it will make you look great on Valentine’s Day. Here is the original Ferrara recipe.

Torta Barozzi

Torta Barozzi Ph. @visitvignola
Torta Barozzi Ph. @visitvignola

Torta Barozzi is a typical cake from the town of Vignola, in the province of Modena. It was invented at the end of the 19th century by the confectioner Gollini, who opened a workshop in the heart of the town.

Made with chocolate, eggs, butter, sugar and coffee, the original recipe is still jealously guarded by the confectioners of Vignola.

Its secrecy makes it the ideal dessert for Valentine’s Day, when you can “play” with the list of ingredients and try to guess the secret ingredient, eye to eye and with your taste buds rejoicing.

But if you can’t make it to Vignola to taste the original, here’s the recipe that locals say comes closest.

Ciambella Romagnola

Ciambella romagnola Ph. @ricettedilaura
Ciambella romagnola Ph. @ricettedilaura

In Italy people say that “not all donuts come with a hole” (meaning that it is not always possible to obtain the desired result), but sometimes it is better; this is the case of the Ciambella Romagnola, whose shape is stretched and elongated, like a loaf of bread.

It is the most classic of the typical cakes of Romagna and its recipe has infinite variations, even if the classic ingredients are the “poor” ones, the basis of many traditional cakes: eggs, flour, sugar, milk, butter.

Its taste, reminiscent of home and love, will also surprise you during a romantic dinner on Valentine’s Day, especially if accompanied by a good glass of sweet wine, such as Albana or Cagnina.

Author

Elisa Mazzini

Social Media Manager for @inEmiliaRomagna and full-time mom.

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