One of the reasons I like Christmas is the influx of delicious Italian sweet yeasted cakes into the markets and food stores and even the supermarkets: Panettone and Pandoro.

Living in Melbourne of course there is a big Italian population and the Italian goodies that get imported are especially good. But it’s fun making them yourself too. It’s relatively easy to find the paper cases used for the fruity Panettone, but moulds to make a glorious fluted Pandoro are more elusive. I randomly found one at a cook shop down on the Mornington peninsula, and swooped on the gorgeous thing…

I’m not sure but I think I might just prefer Pandoro over Panettone. It’s so wonderfully golden, flavoured lightly with vanilla and rum, buttery and decadent. Apparently you are meant to eat it with Spumante, but I mostly eat it for breakfast and there is hardly ever any sweet Italian bubbles round at that time. Happily, Pandoro is great with coffee!

Really you need a proper tin to make a true Pandoro, but it would work in any large deep pan, like a brioche pan. My guess is that you could also make your Pandoro in a ring tin like a nice bundt pan.

This recipe is my adaptation (Google translation) of the Italian recipe that came with my tin. The translation was pretty unintelligible – so if my recipe is unconventional, that is why! Still, it makes a damn fine Pandoro.

Pandoro

ingredients

mixing