Italian Anise Cake Recipes

ITALIAN ANISE COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat eggs together in a large bowl. Gradually stir white sugar into beaten eggs until smooth. Slowly pour vegetable oil and anise oil into sugar mixture until incorporated. Mix flour and baking powder together in a separate bowl; slowly add to sugar mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until dough is dry.
• Refrigerate dough, 30 minutes to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
• Roll dough into walnut-size balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are crisp around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
• Mix confectioners' sugar and milk together in a bowl until desired consistency is reached. Dip a fork into the icing and drizzle over cookies. Allow icing to harden.

CHOMBOLINI (ITALIAN ANISE CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®) with shortening and dust with flour.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Mix sugar and butter in a bowl with a spoon until creamy. Mix in eggs.
• Combine orange juice and milk in a separate bowl; pour into the sugar mixture. Stir in the flour mixture, anise, and lemon extract until well combined. Fold in dates and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Transfer cake to a rack for final cooling, 15 to 25 minutes.

ITALIAN SPONGE CAKE (PAN DI SPAGNA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 338°F (170°C).
• Butter and flour (or spray with baking spray) an 8 inches (20 cm) pan.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and lemon zest until very fluffy and pale yellow (about 10/15 minutes on medium/high speed). To test that it has been beaten enough, let a small amount of batter fall into the bowl. If it remains "sitting" on top, it means that it's ready.
• Sift the flour on top of the egg mixture, a little at a time, and fold it gently with a wooden spoon or a spatula just until incorporated. Do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Don't smooth the top or bang the pan on the counter, leave it as it is!
• Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (Remember: do not open the oven for the first 30 minutes!)
• Turn off the oven but leave the cake inside (keep the door slightly open using a wooden spoon) for 5/10 minutes so it can cool down slowly.
• Remove the sponge cake from the oven, let it cool for 10 more minutes, then loosen around the edges with a knife, and flip it on a wire rack upside down (without the pan) to cool completely.

OLIVE OIL-ANISE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat four 1-cup mini Bundt pans with cooking spray. Whisk eggs, yolk, granulated sugar, orange zest, and anise seeds in a medium bowl until foamy. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until combined.
• Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Fold into egg mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter evenly among pans, and bake until light gold and testers inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire racks, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm.

ANISE PIZZELLE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and butter until smooth. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in aniseed and extracts., Bake in a preheated pizzelle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

ANISE CAKES

Steps:

• Beat eggs until light.
• Add sugar gradually, beating till creamy.
• Add vanilla; add anise oil now if using it.
• Sift flour with baking powder; add to mixture beating it well.
• If you use anise seeds instead of anise oil, add it now.
• Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets.
• Allow them to dry 12 hours or overnight.
• Bake for 12 minutes in 350 degree oven. Check to see if golden around edges. Do not allow them to get brown. Makes 50 1-1/2" cookies.
• Note: I use cooking spray or silicone sheets on cookie sheets---nothing sticks and no clean up.
• Cooking time included overnight drying time.

ANISE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
• Grease and flour 10-inch tube or bundt pan.
• (I use the wrappers from the butter to grease pan) In a small bowl sift together flour and salt and then set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar, vanilla and anise seed.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream to mixture and beat well.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour or until cake is golden and springs back when touched with fork.

CHOMBOLINI (ITALIAN ANISE CAKE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®) with shortening and dust with flour.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Mix the sugar and butter in a bowl with a spoon until creamy. Mix in the eggs.
• Combine the orange juice and milk in a separate bowl. Pour into the sugar mixture.
• Stir in the flour mixture, anise, and lemon extract until well combined. Fold in the dates and walnuts.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the top of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
• Transfer cake to a rack for final cooling for about 15 to 25 minutes.