Name: Trentino Zelten with figs and nuts
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 845 min
Yield: 1 cake
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 125 g Dried figs (stems removed, cut into small pieces); 75 g Raisins; 50 g Candied citron peel (diced); 200 ml Whole milk; 30 ml Rum; 75 g Caster sugar; 80 g Unsalted butter (75 g softened for batter, 5 g for tin); 2 pieces Eggs (about 100 g without shells); 250 g Plain wheat flour; 75 g Walnut kernels (60 g chopped in batter, 15 g for decoration); 50 g Pine nuts; 50 g Blanched almonds (35 g roughly chopped, 15 g whole for decoration); 12 g Baking powder (not baker’s yeast); 2 g Vanilla extract; 1 g Ground cinnamon; 2 g Fine salt; 10 g Egg white (for brushing)

Soak the fruit overnight in the fridge. Keep the nuts for the batter and decoration, so they retain some bite.

Make ahead Begin the evening before. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing.

By Italia Magnifica · Updated October 2026

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 35 min
Rest: 13 hr
Yield: 1 cake
Difficulty: Medium

Trentino Zelten with figs and nuts

Prep 30 min · Cook 35 min · Rest 13 hr · Yield 1 cake · Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Skip to the method

1 cake

Fruit

125 g4½ oz
Dried figsstems removed, cut into small piecesstems removed, cut into small pieces
75 g2¾ oz
Raisins
50 g1¾ oz
Candied citron peeldiceddiced
200 ml¾ cup
Whole milk
30 ml2 tbsp
Rum
75 g⅓ cup
Caster sugar

Batter

80 g¼ cup
Unsalted butter75 g softened for batter, 5 g for tin2¾ oz softened for batter, 5 g for tin
2 pieces2 pieces
Eggsabout 100 g without shellsabout 3½ oz without shells
250 g2 cups
Plain wheat flour
12 g1 tbsp
Baking powdernot baker’s yeastnot baker’s yeast
2 g2 g
Vanilla extract
1 g⅓ tsp
Ground cinnamon
2 g⅓ tsp
Fine salt

Nuts

75 g2¾ oz
Walnut kernels60 g chopped in batter, 15 g for decoration2 oz chopped in batter, ½ oz for decoration
50 g1¾ oz
Pine nuts
50 g1¾ oz
Blanched almonds35 g roughly chopped, 15 g whole for decoration1¼ oz roughly chopped, ½ oz whole for decoration

Decoration

10 g¼ oz
Egg whitefor brushingfor brushing

Equipment

Round 26 cm cake tin, at least 4 cm deep; baking paper
Large covered bowl, whisk, spatula and cooling rack

Method

The evening before, mix the figs, raisins, candied citron and sugar with the milk and rum. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Keep the nuts dry.The evening before, mix the figs, raisins, candied citron and sugar with the milk and rum. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Keep the nuts dry.
Heat a static oven to 175°C. Butter the tin with the reserved butter and line its base with baking paper. Beat the eggs with the softened batter butter, then mix in the soaked fruit and all its liquid.Heat a static oven to 350°F. Butter the tin with the reserved butter and line its base with baking paper. Beat the eggs with the softened batter butter, then mix in the soaked fruit and all its liquid.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Fold them into the fruit mixture with the vanilla, chopped walnuts, chopped almonds and pine nuts. Stop when no dry flour remains; the mixture should be soft and thick.Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Fold them into the fruit mixture with the vanilla, chopped walnuts, chopped almonds and pine nuts. Stop when no dry flour remains; the mixture should be soft and thick.
Spread evenly in the tin. Brush lightly with the egg white and arrange the reserved walnuts and whole almonds on top, pressing them in gently. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out without wet batter. Shield the top loosely if it colours too quickly.Spread evenly in the tin. Brush lightly with the egg white and arrange the reserved walnuts and whole almonds on top, pressing them in gently. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out without wet batter. Shield the top loosely if it colours too quickly.
Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer carefully to a rack. Cool for at least another 45 minutes, until the centre is fully cool, before slicing.Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer carefully to a rack. Cool for at least another 45 minutes, until the centre is fully cool, before slicing.