Rice Cake

Name: Rice Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 1 cup; Rice flour 1 ¼ cup; Brown sugar ½ cup; Butter cold ½ cup; Fine salt 1 pinch; Lemon peel ½; Orange peel ½; Eggs (1 medium) 2 oz; Arborio rice 1 cup; Whole milk 3 cups; Vanilla bean 1; Lemon peel ½; Orange peel ½; Brown sugar 0.4 cup; Egg yolks 2; Whole milk ¾ cup; Brown sugar 2 ½ tbsp; Cornstarch 1 ¼ tbsp; Fine salt 1 pinch; Vanilla bean 1; Powdered sugar to taste

it fr br de es

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Low
Note + 4 h of resting time

PRESENTATION

La torta di riso from Bologna—also known as "torta degli addobbi"—is a rice cake recipe that really shows how comforting and satisfying simple food can be. This isn’t like a Korean rice cake or the usual tteok you'd find elsewhere. It's actually a rustic Italian dessert with deep roots in Emilia-Romagna. You’ll spot it at family gatherings or when folks want something a bit sweet but not over-the-top.

This cake gets its moist texture from rice cooked in milk, usually with a splash of vanilla or maybe some citrus zest. Makes things smell amazing. And the real kicker? The Bologna version has this crispy shortcrust pastry that holds a rich, hearty filling. Seriously good. It’s not too fancy—just straightforward flavors that totally remind you of home. People here love serving it with tea or even for a tender breakfast treat. Holds up well.

Some regions in Italy have their own twist on this classic, but in Bologna, torta di riso is pretty much a staple. Unlike the sticky, chewy style of a tteok recipe or a glutinous rice cake, this one's all about those traditional Italian touches—think real pastry cream mixed with that cooked rice. Makes every bite just a little golden and creamy. Folks say it’s the kind of cake that never lasts long once it hits the table. For sure. Thanks to its simple, sweet flavor and a little citrus zing, it pairs great with coffee or as an afternoon snack.

For people used to the more common homemade rice cake or even a store-bought easy rice cake recipe, this Italian version brings something totally different and full of old-school character. Its peasant roots are still there in every bite, and the way it blends rich, familiar tastes with a bit of Bolognese history just makes it a really fun, down-to-earth dish to share with friends or family. You know, this cake really shows the heart of Italian home cooking. Combines tradition with a touch of nostalgia.

INGREDIENTS

For the pastry (for a 8-inch base flared mold): Type 00 flour 1 cup (150 g); Rice flour 1 ¼ cup (150 g); Brown sugar ½ cup (120 g); Butter ½ cup (120 g) - cold; Fine salt 1 pinch; Lemon peel ½; Orange peel ½; Eggs 2 oz (55 g) - (1 medium)

for the rice: Arborio rice 1 cup (200 g); Whole milk 3 cups (670 g); Vanilla bean 1; Lemon peel ½; Orange peel ½; Brown sugar 0.4 cup (80 g)

for the cream: Egg yolks 2; Whole milk ¾ cup (200 g); Brown sugar 2 ½ tbsp (30 g); Cornstarch 1 ¼ tbsp (10 g); Fine salt 1 pinch; Vanilla bean 1

for garnish: Powdered sugar to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Rice Cake

To make the rice cake, first take care of the pastry: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, add the cold butter cut into pieces, the brown sugar 1, flavor with lemon and orange zest, then add a pinch of salt 2 and start the mixer. Add the egg 3 and turn on the machine.

Once the egg is incorporated, add the two flours 4, continue kneading until you obtain a homogeneous mixture 5. Form a dough, wrap it with plastic wrap 6 and let it firm up in the fridge for 3 hours.

In the meantime, take care of the filling: in a saucepan pour the milk, flavor with the seeds from the vanilla pod and the pod itself 7, the orange zest 8, and the lemon zest 9.

When the milk reaches a boil, pour in the rice 10 and the brown sugar 11. Cook for 30 minutes, towards the end of cooking remove the vanilla bean 12 and the citrus peels.

When the rice has absorbed the milk and is quite thick 13, turn off the heat, transfer to a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap 14, and let it cool for at least 2 hours. In the meantime, prepare the cream: heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla pod and its seeds 15.

In another saucepan, add the brown sugar, egg yolks 16, a pinch of salt 17, and cornstarch 18, and mix with a whisk to combine the mixture.

Gradually pour the hot milk, taking care to remove the pod, always mix with the whisk 19, return to the heat 20, and cook over moderate heat until the cream thickens 21.

Combine the cream with the rice 22, mix 23, and set aside. Take the pastry and roll it out on a work surface with the rolling pin, it should be ¼ inch thick 34.

Take a cake pan that is 8 inches at the bottom and 9 inches at the edge, cut out a disc of dough by placing the mold over it to shape the form. Place the disc on the bottom of the cake pan 25. With the excess dough, cut strips about 1½ inches wide 26 and use them to line the edge 27.

Fill the cake with the cream and level the surface with a spatula 28 or the back of a spoon. Roll out the remaining dough to the same ¼ inch thickness 29. Cut another disc of dough of the same diameter and use it to cover the filling. Seal the edges well 30.

Prick the surface with the tines of a fork 31 and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 60 minutes. Once cooked, take the rice cake out of the oven 32, let it cool, then remove from the mold and dust with powdered sugar 33.