Homemade Easter dove

• Preparation time: 80 minutes
• Cooking time: 50 minutes
• difficulty: high

How to prepare Easter dove cake

Ingredients (for the 1 kg mould)

•     500 g of Manitoba flour
•     150 grams of sugar
•     200 g butter
•     12 g yeast
•     50 g of candied oranges
•     50 gr of candied citron
•     75 g of multiflower honey
•     150 g of fresh milk
•     1 vanilla stick
•     6 egg yolks
•     1 pinch of salt
•     The grated peel of 1 orange
•     The grated zest of 1 lemon

Ingredients (for the icing)

•     50 g of granulated sugar
•     50 g unpeeled almonds
•     50 gr powdered sugar
•     2 egg whites

Preparation

• First leavening

Crumble the brewer's yeast into a bowl and add 50 ml of warm milk, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 100 g of flour, subtracting them from the total ingredients. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl to rise for about 1 hour.

• Second leavening

Once the necessary time has passed, take the dough and add 50 ml of warm milk and 100 g of flour: you should obtain a soft dough, then form a ball and place it in a bowl to rise for about 1 hour.

• Third leavening

After the required time, take the dough and add 100 g of flour, all the sugar, 50 ml of warm milk and knead the dough for at least 15 minutes, then add 80 g of softened butter. Now let it rise for at least 2 hours.

• The dough 

Now add the salt, vanilla seeds, citrus peel, honey, and eggs to the risen dough along with the flour.

Mix vigorously and finally add the remaining softened butter, a little at a time. Knead well until the dough is smooth and elastic, then add the candied fruit. Let this dough rise for 12 hours.

Now take the risen dough and knead it for a few minutes with your hands. Then, place it in the colomba mold and let it rise again until doubled in size (about 2 hours).

How to make the icing for the dove

Here's the procedure for preparing the icing :

• Whip the egg whites with the icing sugar until they are not very firm but white and frothy. Brush the colomba and arrange the almonds and the sugar granules.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for about 45 minutes. To check if the colomba is done, dip a toothpick in the center; if it comes out wet, bake it a little longer.

Read also:

• Torta Pasqualina, a sweet recipe with rice and amaretti biscuits.
• How to turn Easter egg chocolate into delicious chocolates
• Easter Cookies: A Recipe for Making Them with Kids. Perfect for Breakfast