A friend of mine asked me if I knew how to make an Italian cake called "chumbalona" or something similar to that. She said that it is an anise flavored cake, but I have never heard of it. Does anyone know of it or have a basic recipe for it?? Thank you.
Nicole

By Smartychef (Smartychef) on Friday, December 03, 1999 - 08:30 pm: Edit

From "The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink"... I found something under ciambella, described as a "ring cake"...Ring-shaped bun, sometimes filled. Ciambellone is a large bread ring made with fruit and nuts. See also bensone... which says Lemon flavored crumbly sponge cake of Modena. Baked in a spiral or the shape of the letter S, it is traditionally broken off into pieces and dipped into sweet wine, then eaten with a spoon. If jam is baked into the center of the cake, it is called ciambella.
I know it's not much, but I hope it helps somewhat.