Leave it to Italy to have a treasure trove of sweets with a romantic backstory.
Food historian Francine Segan traveled extensively throughout the country while researching for her book “Dolci: Italy’s Sweets.” She spent a good month in Emilia-Romagna, a historically important and wealthy region.
In the city of Ferrara, she chanced upon tenerina, a tender, moist, flourless chocolate cake with a crackly, meringue-like top. It was created in honor of the wife of King Victor Emmanuel III and so is sometimes called “The Queen’s Cake.”
