Quick Easter Colomba cake

To prepare the quick Colomba cake, first pour the manitoba flour and sugar 1 into a standard mixer bowl. Add the brewer's yeast 2, orange and lemon peel, and vanilla bean seeds 3.

Blend at low speed and slowly add the water 4. Switch out the whisk with a hook and knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Then add the salt 5 and knead for a few more minutes until the dough is smooth. Transfer the dough to a flat surface and give it a spherical shape 6.

Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap 7 and let it rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. After this time the dough will not have risen much. Transfer it back into a stand mixer bowl 8. Add flour 9 and knead with the hook.

Pour in the beaten eggs one at a time 10, then the rum 11. Add one small piece of butter at a time while kneading, waiting for each to be completely absorbed before adding the next 12. This phase is very delicate and will take about 15 minutes.

At this point, add the cut candied fruit and drained raisins previously soaked in orange juice 13. Knead a few more minutes until all the ingredients are well mixed 14. Transfer the dough to a well-buttered work surface and fold with a dough scraper. With buttered hands, take the dough and place it in a bowl 15.

Cover with plastic wrap 16 and let rise for an hour and a half 17. At this point, transfer the dough to a buttered surface 18,

then divide it into two equal parts 19 with the dough scraper. Spread one of the two portions, stretching it out with your hands, then roll it up into a cylinder 20. Place it inside a paper Colomba cake mold so that it occupies the center of the mold to form the body 21.

Do the same thing with the second part of the dough and place it inside the mold so that it occupies the sides to form the wings 22. At this point let it rise for 2 hours or until it is 2/3 inch (1.5 cm) from the top edge of the mold. Then you can start preparing the topping to cover the Colomba cake. Pour the hazelnuts, almonds 23 and brown sugar into a mixer 24.

Blend it all together 25, then transfer to a bowl, and add the cornstarch and fioretto corn flour 26. Lastly, add the egg whites 27.

Whip until a homogeneous and creamy mixture is obtained 28. Then pour it over the Colomba cake 29 and use a spatula to spread the topping over the entire surface 30.

Garnish with granulated sugar 31 and whole almonds 32. Cook in a static oven preheated to 320° (160° C) for 50 minutes, then cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Remove the cake and let it cool before serving 33.