Michael, I’m so glad to hear that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t get any bubbling! I think next time I’ll make the panforte in two smaller pans so that I have one to keep and one for a gift. The only way we could cut it was to use a very thin long knife and warm it in hot water. Pulling straight out like with a cheesecake seemed to help.

I, too, found that there wasn’t any bubbling occurring at 15-20 minutes. I let mine go more than 30, and even then the bubbling didn’t reach the center. I think next time I would take it out when the edge is bubbling.

I weighed and measured everything carefully (I think), and the volume was way too much for a 9-inch cake pan. So I used two 7-inch springform pans.

I’m wondering if you found a good way to cut it. Because the cake is so gooey, it’s hard not to squish it with the knife.

Thanks for the story and pics!

Inge, thanks for the tips on perfecting my candied orange peel. I will definitely make it again with your instructions.

T.W., thank you! And Merry Christmas to you!

If you bring your peels to the boil, simmer for 30 minutes then discard the water, and repeat 3 times before proceeding with your candy recipe you should get rid of any bitterness. You just need to get all the oils out of the peel, and then slow cooking in syrup to give the sugar syrup a chance to replace all the moisture in the peel.