Panpepato is a traditional Christmas spiced chocolate cake from Ferrara in Emilia Romagna. This dense, slightly chewy cake is packed with chopped nuts, dried fruit and honey, seasoned with warm spices and a touch of freshly ground black pepper, then finished with a generous coating of melted dark chocolate. It’s festive, full-flavored and surprisingly easy to prepare.
Panpepato, whose name literally means “peppered bread,” dates back to the Renaissance. The ground black pepper gives the cake a subtle warmth that complements the chocolate and spices. Variations of this recipe appear across central Italy, notably in Umbria and Emilia Romagna, and it inspired the Tuscan panforte when adapted in Siena with different fruit and spice balances.
This recipe yields a rich, chocolate-forward cake studded with nuts and candied fruit. It stores well, so it’s a lovely make-ahead treat to enjoy with coffee or tea through the holiday season. Once you’ve made it, feel free to personalise the mix of nuts, dried fruit and spices to create your family version.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Dark chocolate: 70% cocoa is ideal. If you prefer a milder topping, use milk or white chocolate for the glaze while keeping dark chocolate in the cake itself.
- Flour: Italian 00 flour is used here, but all-purpose flour works fine.
- Candied orange: Any candied fruit or peel can be substituted.
- Ground spices: Typical choices are cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Adjust to taste.
- Black pepper: Use freshly ground black pepper for the best aromatic warmth.
Step by step photos and instructions
This visual guide shows key steps. The full written recipe, ingredient amounts and tips are provided in the recipe card below.
- Prep: Soak the raisins in hot water for 10–15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment.
- Chop nuts: Roughly chop the hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts by hand or pulse briefly in a food processor.
- Melt the honey: Warm the honey in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of the raisin soaking liquid until it thins slightly (1–2 minutes). Do not boil.
- Add chocolate: Remove the pan from the heat and stir 100 g chopped dark chocolate into the hot honey. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then stir until smooth and fully melted.
- Add nuts and fruit: Mix in the chopped nuts and candied orange. Squeeze the raisins to remove excess liquid and fold them in so everything is coated in chocolate.
- Add flour and spices: Combine the flour with ground cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and freshly ground black pepper, then mix into the chocolate, nuts and fruit until evenly incorporated.
- Shape and bake: Place the mixture in a mound on the lined tray. With damp hands, shape it into a dome and press the top slightly flat. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a rack.
- Topping: Once the panpepato is cool, melt the remaining dark chocolate (about 100 g) in a small pan or bain-marie, pour it over the cake, and let it set. Slice and serve.
More Italian Christmas recipes
Italian Desserts
Panforte – Tuscan Fruit and Nut Cake
Christmas
Italian Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli)
Italian Cookies
Cuccidati (Italian Fig Cookies)
Italian Desserts
Struffoli – Italian Honey Balls
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Panpepato
A festive Christmas spiced chocolate cake from Ferrara made with nuts, candied fruit, honey and a hint of black pepper, topped with melted dark chocolate.
Ingredients
- 110 g (1/3 cup) runny honey
- 40 g (1/4 cup) raisins, soaked
- 75 g (1/2 cup) whole hazelnuts
- 75 g (1/2 cup) whole blanched almonds
- 55 g (1/2 cup) walnuts
- 1 tablespoon raisin soaking liquid
- 40 g (1/4 cup) chopped candied orange peel (or candied fruit of choice)
- 1/8–1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 95 g (3/4 cup) 00 flour (or all-purpose flour)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate, 70% cocoa, chopped (for the cake)
Topping
- 100 g (3.5 oz) dark chocolate, 70% cocoa (for the glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Soak the raisins in hot water for 10–15 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid.
- Roughly chop the hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts (or pulse briefly in a food processor).
- Warm the honey in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of raisin liquid until it becomes runny (about 1 minute). Do not boil.
- Remove from heat and add 100 g chopped dark chocolate. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then stir until melted and smooth.
- Stir in the chopped nuts and candied orange. Squeeze excess water from the raisins and add them, mixing until everything is coated in chocolate.
- Combine the flour with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ground black pepper. Add this to the chocolate mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
- Place the mixture in a mound on the lined tray. With damp hands shape into a dome and press the top flat. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely on a rack.
- Melt the remaining 100 g dark chocolate in a small pan or bain-marie, pour over the cooled cake and let set. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Start with 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; taste the mixture and add up to another 1/8 teaspoon if you want a stronger clove flavor.
- Use a kitchen scale for best accuracy.
- Shape the cake with damp hands to prevent sticking—rinse and lightly towel-dry your hands first.
- Adjust spices to taste; nutmeg and cloves are potent so add them sparingly.
- For best aroma, use freshly ground black pepper rather than pre-ground pepper.
- After pouring the glaze you can decorate the top with extra candied fruit or nuts while the chocolate is still wet.
- Store wrapped in foil in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw fully at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition (per serving, approximate)
Calories: 225 kcal | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 14 g | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 12 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.