"Quick Easter Colomba cake"

by Blu

The Easter Colomba cake (literally it means Easter Dove, due its shape) it is one of the typical desserts of the Italian Easter tradition, as they are Panettone and Pandoro at Christmas; normally the preparation involves a long process with long rest times due to the use of mother yeast, but today I propose you a quick alternative, equally tasty and simple to make.

INGREDIENTS

(doses for a 750gr dove mold)

3 eggs

350gr flour 00

90gr sunflower seed oil

175ml milk

150gr sugar

1 lemon (zest)

1 orange (zest)

1 vial of almond flavoring

1 sachet of instant yeast for pizzas and savory pies

almonds

granulated sugar

candied orange peel

paper Colomba cake mold

METHOD

Take the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks by placing them in two different bowls. Whip the egg whites until stiff. In the other bowl, combine the egg yolks with the sugar, add the almond flavoring vial, the lemon and orange zest and mix everything well until you obtain a homogeneous mixture using an electric whisk or by hand. Then add the sunflower oil, the milk and flour little by little.

Add the sachet of instant yeast for savory pies (like the Pizzaiolo) to the dough and then gently incorporate the whites beaten stiff. Lastly, add the candied orange peel and then pour the mixture into the dove mould. Before baking, decorate the top with almonds and granulated sugar. Bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes.