Bustrengo

About This Recipe

Bustrengo is the oldest and most characterful cake of San Marino and the Romagna region. Dense, chewy, and deeply fragrant, it is made with polenta, flour, dried figs, walnuts, and raisins, flavoured with orange and anise. It is not delicate or elegant — it is a cake built for mountain winters, packed with energy and flavour.

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 150 gfine polenta (cornmeal)
• 150 gplain flour
• 120 gdried figs, roughly chopped
• 100 graisins
• 80 gwalnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tspanise seeds, crushed

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix dry ingredients

   Combine polenta, flour, anise seeds, and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Stir in figs, raisins, and walnuts.

2. 2

   Add wet ingredients

   Add the grated zest of 1 orange, 2 beaten eggs, 80 ml olive oil, and 200 ml warm water. Mix until a thick, dense batter forms.

3. 3

   Rest the batter

   Leave the batter to rest for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 180 °C. The polenta will absorb moisture and swell.

4. 4

   Bake

   Pour into a greased 23 cm round tin. Bake for 40–45 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top is dark golden.

5. 5

   Cool and serve

   Cool completely before slicing. Dust with icing sugar if desired. Serve in thin wedges.

Variations

• •

  Add a shot of sapa (grape must syrup) or vincotto for extra depth.

• •

  Include dried apricots or dates alongside the figs.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Wraps well at room temperature for 4–5 days.

Frequently Asked Questions