Hazelnut Colomba Italian Easter Cake

Ring in the spring with colomba di Pasqua, an Italian Easter tradition masterfully served up by Sicilian bakers Fiasconaro. Similar to the Christmas favorite panettone, colomba is a sweet bread that’s usually made with dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate. It’s perfect for breakfast, snacking, or dessert, with a rich, moist crumb that stays fresh for weeks (if you can resist it that long!). This classic colomba is studded with sweet raisins and topped with crunchy pearl sugar and Sicilian hazelnuts.

While the bread itself is much like panettone, there’s one critical difference that makes colomba so special: It’s shaped like a dove. The Easter dove is a powerful symbol of peace and love in Italy, and no Italian Easter would be complete without a colomba di Pasqua to mark it. Originally from Lombardy, the rich confection is now beloved across the country. Fiasconaro’s proudly Sicilian version uses fresh eggs from local farms and the raisins and hazelnuts for which their island home is famous. It’s naturally leavened for 36 hours using a sourdough starter (the lievito madre) that has been maintained by the Fiasconaro family for 70 years. This process builds layers of flavor and, as a bonus, makes the rich bread easier to digest.

In 1953, Mario Fiasconaro opened a small ice cream shop in in the medieval town of Castelbuono in the heart of Madonie regional park, a mountain haven for birds, rare butterflies, and wild orchids. Over time, the shop became a pastry powerhouse, making panettone, colomba, and other delicious treats with a Sicilian flair. Today, Fiasconaro is run by Mario’s children, who strive to capture an authentic expression of their island's peasant tradition in an ultra-high-quality product.