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Dense Sienese spiced cake packed with nuts, dried fruits, and medieval spices. This ancient mediterranean confection is a family holiday tradition dating back centuries.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to overhang for easy removal.
Carefully toast the blanched almonds and hazelnuts on a baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes until fragrant, then coarsely chop while still warm.
In a large bowl, combine the toasted nuts, candied orange peel, dried figs, and all-purpose flour; toss until all pieces are coated and evenly distributed.
In a small saucepan over low-medium heat, gently dissolve the honey and granulated sugar, stirring constantly but never letting it boil, until just melted and combined—remove immediately to prevent crystallization.
Quickly stir the warm honey-sugar mixture and all spices (ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) into the nut and fruit bowl; work rapidly with a sturdy spoon to uniformly blend before it stiffens, then pack the dense batter evenly into the prepared pan, smoothing with damp fingers.
Bake for 35–40 minutes until edges feel set but the center is still just slightly soft to the touch—do not overbake or it will harden excessively on cooling.
Remove from oven, let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then carefully lift out using the parchment and cool to room temperature before dusting liberally with powdered sugar and slicing.
