Since ancient times, throwing away leftover bread was considered almost a sacrilege, and even feeding it to animals was considered a luxury.
And there have been many recipes for leftover bread, one of which is bread cake, a delicious and simple cake that in our time has been enriched with other ingredients that may or may not be added at will.
Over time and the various times I have made this recipe, I have modified it and, in my opinion, simplified and improved it, making it undoubtedly one of my favorite cakes.
Ingredients:
Note that the ingredients are measured and not weighed according to the pan.
I use a 10-inch pan.
400 g / 14.10 oz Hard moist bread
300 ml / 10.14 oz milk (also non dairy)
2-3 tbsp sugar or honey
50 g / 1.76 oz chopped hazelnuts
50 g /1.76 oz raisins
2 Apples
1 Egg
250 g / 8,81 oz ricotta cheese (optional)
Vanilla or cinnamon
3 tbsp cocoa
100 g / 3.52 oz melted butter or oil
½ sachet baking powder (optional)
How to make it:
Cut or crumble the bread to the size of a pea or so and fill the pan you are going to bake it into the brim to measure the correct amount to use.
Place the bread in a large bowl and pour milk over it a little at a time until the bread is soaked, but there should not be a puddle of milk on the bottom.
Add the sugar or honey, the amount indicated is for a mild sweetness, if you like it very sweet, add an extra tablespoon.
Add the apples, cleaned and cut into small cubes.
Add the egg, the ricotta, the cocoa, the baking powder if you like, and mix well.
Check the consistency: it should have the consistency of mashed potatoes or polenta. If it seems too liquid, add 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs; if it seems too hard, add half a glass of milk.
Brush the pan with a little butter before adding the rest of the melted butter to the ingredients.
Pour the dough into the buttered pan, spread it out, give it 4 taps on the table so that it settles, sprinkle lightly with sugar and bake in a preheated oven, static or ventilated, for 60 minutes.
Then let it cool and taste it, you will feel how wonderful they are, they are ancient flavors, they are the cakes that were made once upon a time when there was no refined flour, sugar was a luxury and grandma hid cocoa because it was hard to find.