Torta di riso (Italian rice cake)

A confluence of cheesecake texture meets rice pudding?

Totra-di-riso

Served at room temperature or even cold this Basque cheesecake meets rice pudding is a creamy fragrant rice cake that’s soft set and scorched on top. Originally from Bologna and prepared for festivities it can be enjoyed all year round. Aborio rice slowly cooked in milk and spices to give a springy soft cake.

AuthorHungry PandaCategoryDifficultyIntermediate

Yields6 Servings
Prep Time15 minsCook Time2 hrsTotal Time2 hrs 15 mins

 2 rice measuring cups arborio rice (cooked)
 1000 ml whole milk
 5 eggs (2 whole, the rest separated to get 3 yolks)
 200 ml double cream
 2 vanilla pods, split, seeds scraped out and pods reserved
 2 lemons, skin finely shaved to get 10 strips
 1 small orange, skin finely shaved to get 4 strips
 175 g caster sugar
 1 pinch salt
 butter for greasing
 2 tsp tapioca starch

1

Cook the rice in your rice cooker by putting the rice into the inner bowl and filling with water to the short grain level 2 line. Then select the SHORT GRAIN rice function and press START. Once cooked put the rice aside.

2

Combine the milk, cream, vanilla pods and seeds, lemon skin, orange skin, 110g of the sugar and a third of a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, stirring every now and then.

3

Add the warm mixture to the cooked rice in your rice cooker inner bowl, combine well and press keep warm. Leave for 1 hour and then cancel the keep warm.

4

Allow the rice mixture to cool (take the bowl out of the rice cooker to speed the cooling process) and then pick out the vanilla pods and lemon/orange peel strips.

5

Put the two whole eggs, three egg yolks and 50g sugar in a bowl, add the starch, then beat on medium-high speed for three minutes (use a stand mixer or handheld mixer), until moussy and tripled in volume. Fold the egg mix into the rice in the inner bowl until fully incorporated (it will take a few turns to get it fully mixed in), then pour into the rice cooker inner bowl.

6

Bake on the cake setting for 60 minutes. Check the cake is firm, if not, then set the cake setting again and cook for longer.

7

Once cooked, leave to cool. When the cake is completely cool, tip out onto a baking tray, sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the cake and put under the grill or use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise. Leave to cool until it's a room temperature and cut into thick chunks

Ingredients

 2 rice measuring cups arborio rice (cooked)
 1000 ml whole milk
 5 eggs (2 whole, the rest separated to get 3 yolks)
 200 ml double cream
 2 vanilla pods, split, seeds scraped out and pods reserved
 2 lemons, skin finely shaved to get 10 strips
 1 small orange, skin finely shaved to get 4 strips
 175 g caster sugar
 1 pinch salt
 butter for greasing
 2 tsp tapioca starch

Directions

1

Cook the rice in your rice cooker by putting the rice into the inner bowl and filling with water to the short grain level 2 line. Then select the SHORT GRAIN rice function and press START. Once cooked put the rice aside.

2

Combine the milk, cream, vanilla pods and seeds, lemon skin, orange skin, 110g of the sugar and a third of a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, stirring every now and then.

3

Add the warm mixture to the cooked rice in your rice cooker inner bowl, combine well and press keep warm. Leave for 1 hour and then cancel the keep warm.

4

Allow the rice mixture to cool (take the bowl out of the rice cooker to speed the cooling process) and then pick out the vanilla pods and lemon/orange peel strips.

5

Put the two whole eggs, three egg yolks and 50g sugar in a bowl, add the starch, then beat on medium-high speed for three minutes (use a stand mixer or handheld mixer), until moussy and tripled in volume. Fold the egg mix into the rice in the inner bowl until fully incorporated (it will take a few turns to get it fully mixed in), then pour into the rice cooker inner bowl.

6

Bake on the cake setting for 60 minutes. Check the cake is firm, if not, then set the cake setting again and cook for longer.

7

Once cooked, leave to cool. When the cake is completely cool, tip out onto a baking tray, sprinkle the remaining sugar on top of the cake and put under the grill or use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelise. Leave to cool until it's a room temperature and cut into thick chunks

Notes

Torta di Riso (Italian rice cake)

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Add almonds, candied citron, amaretti biscuits (either crushed or whole) and a splash of Amaretto to get extravagant. The biscuits can also work well as a topping or a base too.