Colomba, the Italian Easter Cake

Every year brings back la colomba di Pasqua, or the "Easter dove." In Italy, this artisanal cake is a sweet sign of spring, and Easter's counterpart to the Christmastime panettone and pandoro.

What is colomba?

Colomba is a rich, fluffy cake traditionally made with high-quality flour, farm-fresh eggs, sugar, butter and natural yeast. The dough rises for at least 30 hours. It is then baked into the iconic dove shape and topped with pearl sugar and almonds.

Sound complicated? It is. Like panettone, colomba is one of the rare exceptions in Italian cuisine: even the most traditional home cooks buy it from the store rather than make it. Expert bakers rise to the occasion, often adding their own twist by studding regional ingredients into the dough, from IGP hazelnuts in Piemonte to Amarena cherries in Emilia-Romagna.

Why a dove?

The first colomba came from Milano, but the story does not end there. The cake has inspired legends of peace stretching back to the Middle Ages, and they are all different.

• In one version, colomba marks the 1176 Lombard victory over the Holy Roman Empire, when two doves miraculously appeared on the battleground.
• In another, a young girl first baked the cake in the sixth century to pacify King Albion of the Lombard tribe, who was demanding tribute from her hometown of Pavia. He loved the colomba so much that he set her free and spared Pavia.

Nobody knows the real story. One thing is certain: one slice of colomba is worth a legion of legends.

How to serve colomba

Colomba is delicious on its own. It is also often served with fresh berries, drizzled in dark chocolate, topped with sweet spreads or paired with whipped cream. Italians enjoy a slice with coffee for breakfast or as an afternoon pick-me-up. At Eataly, we like to pair this festive cake with a glass of Prosecco or dessert wine.

Eataly's selection of colombe is available in-store and online.