This Italian baked rice pudding cake (Torta di riso), made with cooked rice, raisins, and spices, is incredibly delicious and comforting.
I’ll share a secret with you… I’m absolutely obsessed with Italian baked rice pudding cake… haha… But there’s a simple reason: this Torta di riso is incredibly scrumptious!
What is Torta di riso
Torta di riso is an Italian dessert made with rice, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and sometimes citrus zest. It’s cooked until creamy and then baked to create a custard-like texture.
Baked rice-based desserts are enjoyed around the world, not just in Italy. It’s no surprise! Despite their simple and affordable ingredients, these treats are full of flavor!
Baked rice pudding cake recipes are different around the world, with each country adding its own ingredients and spices.
In our international family (I’m Ukrainian, and my husband is Italian), our top two favorite variations are:
- Italian baked rice pudding cake: A comforting dessert enjoyed in various parts of Italy.
- Zapikanka or Zapekanka: A Ukrainian sweet rice casserole, often enriched with grated apples, carrots, and delightful raisins.
To please everyone, we’ve created our own dessert that combines the best aspects of both Torta di riso and Zapikanka.
So, let me introduce you to our Italian baked rice pudding cake with a Ukrainian twist. In short, I added apples, carrots, and raisins to my husband’s recipe. These ingredients can add a touch of sweetness and moisture to the casserole, making it even more delicious.
With this recipe, you can use simple, everyday ingredients to make a fantastic treat. Trust me, it’s incredibly, fantastically delicious!
Two types of rice pudding
Rice pudding typically comes in two main types:
- A creamy version made on the stovetop, which you can eat with a spoon.
- Baked rice pudding, akin to a cake. It’s dry and thick, easily cut into squares, with a creamy texture that’s not overly wet. This is exactly what Italian Torta di riso is.
Both are yummy, but I like the texture of the baked version more.
Which rice is best for this recipe?
Italian baked rice pudding cake is a delicate, creamy dessert that can be sliced like a pie or cake. To achieve the best results, choose the right type of rice:
- Arborio or Carnaroli: These varieties, known for risotto, work wonderfully for Torta di riso as well. They’ll give you the most delicious, creamy, and tender baked rice cake.
- Any round, short-grain rice: Typically, these types have the ideal starch content for this recipe. Your dessert will turn out creamy but not mushy.
Avoid long-grain and steamed rice, as they won’t hold the cake-like texture of Italian rice cake. Brown rice is also unsuitable due to its firmness, and sushi rice is too glutinous for this dessert.
Useful tips
Making Torta di riso is a breeze, and it always comes out delicious. Let me share a few tips to help you feel more confident:
- Sugar: Adjust the amount of sugar to your taste.
- Baking Time: Keep a close eye on your Torta di Riso while it bakes. You want it to be golden brown on top and set in the center but still slightly creamy.
- Dusting: Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top of your baked rice pudding cake before serving for a nice touch.
- You can enjoy it either warm or cold: It’s delicious either way.
- You can prepare this recipe in advance: It actually becomes even more flavorful the following day. Here’s my suggestion: prepare it the evening before, and let it cool in the fridge overnight.
Recipe variations and substitutions
You can easily make Italian baked rice pudding cake your own. The main ingredients are rice, eggs, milk, and butter. Feel free to change anything else according to your taste.
- If you like, use brown sugar or honey instead of white sugar.
- Feel free to use any kind of milk for this recipe, but remember that the creamier the milk, the creamier your Torta di riso will be.
- Not a fan of regular milk? You can go with any non-dairy option like soy, almond, oat, or cashew milk. Coconut milk works too!
- Avoid swapping out butter for margarine, as margarine will impact the flavor and texture of this dessert negatively.
- Sour cream is key in this recipe. Just 2 tablespoons can really improve the texture of zapekanka. If necessary, you can swap it for Greek yogurt or unsweetened plain yogurt.
- Be creative with spices. Feel free to experiment with cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger—whatever suits your taste.
- If you’re not into spices, you can leave them out (though I strongly suggest adding vanilla). Baked rice cake will still be delicious without spices, but it might lose some of its aromatic charm and flavor intrigue.
If you’re not a fan of raisins, you can substitute them with any of these options:
- Dried cherries or cranberries
- Chocolate chips
- Prunes or dried apricots
- Chopped dates
- Chopped nuts
- Fresh blueberries
- Desiccated coconut
Ingredients
I use a rectangular baking pan measuring 28cm x 18cm (11″ x 7″).
- 500ml (2cups + 4tsp) milk
- 200g (1cup) uncooked rice
- 50g (4Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 150g (¾ cup) sugar
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 large sweet apples
- 2 medium carrots
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- grated zest of 1 orange
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- vanilla extract
How to make Italian baked rice pudding cake
1. Pour the milk over the rice and let it soak up all the milk on low heat. If the rice isn’t fully cooked, that’s okay—we’ll finish it in the oven later.
2. Remove from heat and add the butter immediately. Stir until it melts.
3. Grate the apples and carrots finely, then add them to the rice and mix thoroughly.
4. Add the raisins, and then whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and sugar until well combined.
5. Add the mixture of eggs, sour cream, and sugar to the rice. Also, include the cinnamon, vanilla, lemon zest, and orange zest. Mix everything together.
6. Mix everything thoroughly. Grease a baking dish with oil or butter, then pour the mixture into it. Bake Torta di riso in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for around 45 minutes, or until it develops a golden crust.
This treat is fantastic whether you enjoy it warm or fully chilled. Simply sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and savor it!
How to serve Italian baked rice pudding cake
This recipe is ideal year-round. In the summer, savor it with ice cream, cold milk, or lemonade. It’s also a cozy treat for winter evenings, perfect with hot tea or a glass of spicy mulled wine.
It’s delicious on its own. Just sprinkle powdered sugar on top and savor it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a sweet snack.
For an added treat, try pairing it with:
- Whipped cream
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- Lemon curd
- Your favorite jam (I love thick peach jam with cinnamon; it will perfectly complement the zapikanka’s flavor)
- Caramel sauce
- A few tablespoons of thick homemade sour cream or unsalted homemade cream cheese (a classic from my childhood)
FAQ
Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes, you can reheat it in the oven at a low temperature or in the microwave. Be sure to cover it to prevent drying out.
Yes, you can absolutely use leftover cooked rice to make Italian bread pudding cake. Make sure the rice is well-cooked but not overly dry. Add 4 tablespoons of milk to it, warm it, and then proceed with the recipe starting from step 2.
Of course. Cut it into portions and freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bags for up to 3 months. When needed, simply remove a portion from the freezer, defrost it, and warm it up in the oven.
Let Torta di Riso brighten your day. I hope this simple Italian baked rice pudding cake recipe adds to your culinary repertoire.
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Italian baked rice pudding cake (Torta di riso)
Ingredients
- 500 ml (2cups + 4tsp) milk
- 200 g (1cup) uncooked rice
- 50 g (4Tbsp) unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 150 g (¾cup) sugar
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- ½ cup raisins
- 2 large sweet apples
- 2 medium carrots
- grated zest of 1 lemon
- grated zest of 1 orange
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour the milk over the rice and let it soak up all the milk on low heat. If the rice isn't fully cooked, that's okay—we'll finish it in the oven later.
- Remove from heat and add the butter immediately. Stir until it melts.
- Grate the apples and carrots finely, then add them to the rice and mix thoroughly.
- Add the raisins, and then whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and sugar until well combined.
- Add the mixture of eggs, sour cream, and sugar to the rice. Also, include the cinnamon, vanilla, lemon zest, and orange zest. Mix everything together.
- Mix everything thoroughly. Grease a baking dish with oil or butter, then pour the mixture into it. Bake Torta di riso in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for around 45 minutes, or until it develops a golden crust.
- This treat is fantastic whether you enjoy it warm or fully chilled. Simply sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and savor it!
Notes
- If you like, use brown sugar or honey instead of white sugar.
- Feel free to use any kind of milk for this recipe, but remember that the creamier the milk, the creamier your Torta di riso will be.
- Not a fan of regular milk? You can go with any non-dairy option like soy, almond, oat, or cashew milk. Coconut milk works too!
- Avoid swapping out butter for margarine, as margarine will impact the flavor and texture of this dessert negatively.
- Sour cream is key in this recipe. Just 2 tablespoons can really improve the texture of zapekanka. If necessary, you can swap it for Greek yogurt or unsweetened plain yogurt.
- Be creative with spices. Feel free to experiment with cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger—whatever suits your taste.
- If you’re not into spices, you can leave them out (though I strongly suggest adding vanilla). Baked rice cake will still be delicious without spices, but it might lose some of its aromatic charm and flavor intrigue.
I wanted to make this recipe because it sounded interesting, and when I read the post, I realized I had all the ingredients. I have to say, I really enjoyed it and I’m excited to share it with my friends.
Hi Grace, That’s great to hear! I’m glad you liked the recipe and had all the ingredients. I’m sure your friends will love zapikanka too 🙂