Zelten
Zelten is the long-established Christmas cake of Trentino and South Tyrol. The name is often traced to German “selten”, “rarely”, because it was baked once a year, but that is more likely folk etymology — the word is linked to the old German “Zelten”, a flat cake (as in “Lebzelten”, gingerbread). Unlike panettone it is more fruit than dough: dried figs, dates, raisins, walnuts and pine nuts bound with a little yeast dough flavoured with honey and spices. It is baked ahead, usually in early December, and left to mature for at least a few days before cutting. It is sliced thinly, like fruit cake.
Your own work in that: 40 min.
- Soaking the fruit 480 min
- Yeast dough 20 min
- Rising 60 min
- Combining and shaping 20 min
- Proving 30 min
- Baking 50 min
- Cooling 120 min
Step by step
0 / 8 doneSoak the fruit
Dice the figs and dates and roughly chop the walnuts. Mix with the raisins, candied peel, pine nuts, orange zest and alcohol, cover and leave 8 hours or overnight.
Ingredients: 200 g dried figs · 100 g pitted dried dates · 150 g raisins · 50 g candied orange peel · 100 g walnuts · 50 g pine nuts · 60 ml rum, brandy or grappa · 1 tbsp grated orange zest
The fruit soaks up the spirit overnight.Start the yeast
Crumble the yeast into the lukewarm milk with a spoonful of sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour. Leave 10 minutes until it bubbles.
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour · 15 g fresh yeast · 100 ml lukewarm milk · 60 g sugar · 2 tbsp honey · 50 g butter, melted · 1 pcs egg · 1 tsp cinnamon · ¼ tsp ground cloves · ½ tsp salt
Knead the dough
Add the rest of the flour and sugar, the honey, egg, melted butter, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour · 15 g fresh yeast · 100 ml lukewarm milk · 60 g sugar · 2 tbsp honey · 50 g butter, melted · 1 pcs egg · 1 tsp cinnamon · ¼ tsp ground cloves · ½ tsp salt
Leave to rise
Cover and leave somewhere warm for 60 minutes, until clearly risen.
Ingredients: 250 g plain flour · 15 g fresh yeast · 100 ml lukewarm milk · 60 g sugar · 2 tbsp honey · 50 g butter, melted · 1 pcs egg · 1 tsp cinnamon · ¼ tsp ground cloves · ½ tsp salt
Work in the fruit
Turn the dough onto the worktop and gradually knead in the fruit and nuts with their soaking liquid. It will be very heavy and sticky — there is more fruit than dough, and that is right.
Ingredients: 200 g dried figs · 100 g pitted dried dates · 150 g raisins · 50 g candied orange peel · 100 g walnuts · 50 g pine nuts · 60 ml rum, brandy or grappa · 1 tbsp grated orange zest
More fruit than dough — that is zelten.Shape the loaves
Divide in two and shape two oval loaves about 4 cm thick with wet hands. Set them on a lined tray 8 cm apart.
Ingredients: 200 g dried figs · 100 g pitted dried dates · 150 g raisins · 50 g candied orange peel · 100 g walnuts · 50 g pine nuts · 60 ml rum, brandy or grappa · 1 tbsp grated orange zest
Decorate and prove
Press the almonds and glacé cherries into the tops in a pattern. Cover and leave 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 170°C.
Ingredients: 50 g whole almonds · 8 pcs glacé cherries (optional)
Almonds and cherries — the traditional pattern.Bake and cool
Bake 45–50 minutes, until deep golden and a skewer comes out clean. If the tops darken too fast, cover with foil after 30 minutes. Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours, until completely cold, then wrap in foil.
Ingredients: 200 g dried figs · 100 g pitted dried dates · 150 g raisins · 50 g candied orange peel · 100 g walnuts · 50 g pine nuts · 60 ml rum, brandy or grappa · 1 tbsp grated orange zest
Before you start
Maturing
Traditionally zelten is baked 1–2 weeks before Christmas and kept wrapped in paper and foil somewhere cool. The flavour matures and the loaf grows moister. Slice it thinly.
Without alcohol
Soak the fruit in orange juice instead. The cake then keeps less well — up to a week in the fridge.
Storage
Tightly wrapped, zelten made with alcohol keeps 3 weeks somewhere cool. It freezes in slices for 3 months.
