How to Make Colomba, the Ubiquitous Easter Cake of Italy

Name: How to Make Colomba, the Ubiquitous Easter Cake of Italy
Cook time: 40 minutes, plus 3 ½ hours rest
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: For the dough 1 packet (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast 3 cups all-purpose flour; divided ½ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon salt 3 large eggs; room temperature ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; softened; plus more for the pan 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup candied orange peel; diced; For the almond glaze ½ cup almond flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 egg white ¼ teaspoon almond extract 2 tablespoons whole almonds 2 tablespoons pearl sugar (or coarse sugar)

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Francine Segan | Fri, 04/03/2026 - 07:24

Colomba, the signature Easter cake of Italy

Colomba, the signature Easter cake of Italy

Difficulty Level

Medium

Cooking Time

40 minutes, plus 3 ½ hours rest

Cost

Medium

Colomba (Italian for “dove”) is a dove-shaped sweet yeast cake traditionally filled with candied orange peel and topped with almonds and sprinkled with grains of sugar. During the Easter season in Italy, you’ll spot it all over, from small bakery windows to supermarket shelves.

Numerous myths surround this cake. According to one particularly dramatic story, on Easter Day in 1176, the city of Milan was defending itself against invaders and was on the verge of losing.