Italian Panettone Cake (Easter Cake)

Panettone is a Milanese Christmas cake. This recipe is considered Milanese, since from the many origin stories everyone agrees that the birthplace of this pie is Milan. Panettone is prepared with the addition of dried fruits, zest, candied fruits, and nuts. The Italian muffin recipe is very similar to the traditional Easter cake recipe – in composition and appearance.

Ingredients

• Milk – 240 ml
• Butter – 120 g
• Eggs – 2 pcs.
• Egg yolks – 3 pcs.
• Fresh yeast – 25 g
• Flour – 650-700 g
• Sugar – 140 g
• Salt – 1 teaspoon
• Candied fruits – 120 g
• Raisins – 180 g
• Lemon zest – 2 teaspoon
• Pine nuts – 90 g
• Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon
• Egg whites – 2 pcs.
• Powdered sugar – 0.5 cups
• Lemon juice – to taste

Directions

1. You can make your own variations of the Italian panettone recipe. You can add milk or water, change lemon peel to orange peel, use raisins, dried pineapples and pine nuts, dried apricots, figs, candied orange peels, prunes, any nuts from dried fruits. Pine nuts, we think, are the best.
2. On top, the Italian panettone cake can be garnished with powdered sugar or iced as you like.
3. An important point: the eggs must be at room temperature, and the yeast must be fresh (both dry and not dry).