Quick Easter Dove Cake with Red Fruits
- Vegetarian
- Energy Kcal 793
- Carbohydrates g 92
- of which sugars g 48.2
- Protein g 17.2
- Fats g 39.6
- of which saturated fat g 15.42
- Fiber g 6.1
- Cholesterol mg 150
- Sodium mg 82
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Prep time: 40 min
- Cook time: 50 min
- Serving: 8
- Cost: Average
- Note + resting times in the various dough stages
PRESENTATION
Colomba veloce ai frutti rossi is a real game changer—seriously—if you're craving that classic Easter dessert from Lombardia without all the hassle. Instead of the super detailed old-school method, this ricetta colomba veloce goes for something easier, using a quicker dough that turns out moist and tender. And look, what really makes this version different is how it swaps those orange peels for frutti rossi soaked in orange juice. You get a tangy burst in every bite. Amazing aroma, really, thanks to the fresh juice and lighter touch on eggs and sugar. Folks in Northern Italy love having a colomba pasquale ai frutti rossi on their tables around Easter. This fits right in. Simpler, but still totally festive.
Instead of the usual candied orange, you get these little pockets of sweet and juicy berries—super super nice—with the soft, golden crumb. That bit of condensed milk keeps everything soft without needing tons of eggs or sugar. You end up with a colomba fatta in casa that's both easy and tasty. In Lombardia, it's common to serve this on a big buffet with other dolce pasquale tradizionale treats, and you know what, it works anytime you want something special without spending all day in the kitchen.
Whether you call it a colomba pasquale veloce or a colomba con frutti rossi, it’s a fun twist that’s perfect for sharing with family or friends. Anyone looking for a softer, fruitier take on the old-school Easter bread will love this. For sure. Especially because it's such a simple, no-stress ricetta colomba semplice. Totally festive and Italian, which is great. The ease of preparation and awesome mix of flavors make this dessert a must-try during Easter or whenever you want a taste of Italian tradition. Can't go wrong with that.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the starter dough
- Manitoba flour 0.4 cup (50 g)
- Water 2 tsp (30 ml)
- Brewer's yeast 0.6 tsp (3 g)
- For the first dough
- Manitoba flour 1.6 cups (200 g)
- Sugar 6 tbsp (75 g)
- Butter 3 ½ tbsp (50 g) - at room temperature
- Whole milk 3.7 tbsp (55 ml)
- Condensed milk 3 tbsp (50 g)
- Eggs 1 - medium
- Vanilla bean 1
- Lemon peel 1 - unprocessed
- Orange peel 1 - unprocessed
- Extra virgin olive oil to taste
- For the second dough
- Manitoba flour ⅓ cup (50 g)
- Butter 2.65 oz (75 g) - at room temperature
- Eggs 1 - medium
- For decorating and filling
- Dried berries 2.8 oz (80 g)
- Orange juice 1
- Almond slices to taste
- Granulated sugar to taste
- For the almond glaze
- Peeled almonds ½ cup (75 g)
- Brown sugar 3 tbsp (40 g)
- Condensed milk 1 ½ tbsp (25 g)
- Fioretto corn flour 2 tbsp (15 g)
- Cornstarch 1 ½ tsp (8 g)
- Egg whites 1
How to prepare Quick Easter Dove Cake with Red Fruits
To prepare the dove cake with red fruits, start with the starter dough: in a small bowl, pour the sifted flour, the dehydrated yeast (or 9 g of fresh yeast) 1 and the lukewarm water. Mix everything with your hands or a spoon, then transfer the mixture onto a work surface 2 and handle it to form a dough ball. Let it rise in a small bowl 3 covered with cling film for 1 hour in a turned-off oven with the light on.
After the necessary time, it will have doubled in volume, so place it in a stand mixer (or a bowl for hand mixing), attach the paddle attachment, and add the lukewarm milk (previously warmed), sugar 4, and flour 5. Start mixing, then add the egg 6,
the seeds from a vanilla pod 7 and the zest of untreated orange and lemon 8. Add the condensed milk 9 to the dough and continue running the mixer.
When the ingredients are well combined, replace the paddle with the dough hook and start adding the room temperature butter in pieces 10, one at a time, waiting for the previous piece to be incorporated before continuing. Once all the butter is incorporated, stop the mixer 11, oil a work surface 12
and briefly work the dough 13, shaping it into a sphere. Place it in a bowl, cover with cling film 14, and let it rise in a turned-off oven with the light on for 2 hours. While the dough is rising, prepare the almond glaze: in a mixer, place the peeled almonds and brown sugar 15 to finely chop them.
Then pour the mixture obtained into the bowl of a stand mixer and attach the whisk, adding the egg white 16. Add the cornmeal 17 and cornstarch 18 gradually.
Finally, add the condensed milk 19. Once finished, pour the glaze into a bowl and cover it with cling film in contact until ready to use. Meanwhile, soak the red fruits: squeeze the orange juice 20 and pour it over the fruits 21: let them soak while you continue the preparation.
Take back the dough that will have doubled in volume 22 and place it in the stand mixer bowl. Add the sifted flour, the egg 23, and start kneading with the dough hook. Gradually add the room temperature butter 24, waiting for one piece to be incorporated before adding another 24.
Finally, add 3/4 of the drained and squeezed red fruits 25, then continue kneading until, when you stop the mixer, the dough falls in ribbons 26. Then remove it from the mixer, divide it into two parts: one about 470 g, which you can roll out into a rectangle 27
and roll it starting from one of the shorter ends 28. Then place it in the widest part of a 750 g dove cake mold 29. The remaining dough should weigh about 255 g, divide it into two equal parts 30,
and place them in the two empty side parts 31. Garnish with the almond glaze using a spoon 32 and let it rise for 1 hour and 30 minutes in a turned-off oven with the light on. After the required time, finish garnishing the top of the dove cake with sliced almonds, sugar grains, and red fruits 33.
When you've finished 34 bake in a preheated static oven at 320°F for 50 minutes (285°F for about 40 minutes if using a convection oven), then cover with aluminum for another 20 minutes (10 if using a convection oven). When the dove cake with red fruits is cooked, take it out of the oven and to release moisture, turn it upside down keeping it suspended with supports 35 (you can use two long knitting needles, two pots, or two rolls of paper towels): we used polystyrene supports and metal rods. Once cooled 36, you can enjoy your quick dove cake with red fruits!