RECIPE FOR PANETTONE CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Grease a panettone tin (see Tip) or a 20cm deep cake tin, or use a panettone case.
• Place the warm milk in a bowl and add the yeast and 1 tsp of sugar and leave for a few minutes.
• Put the remaining sugar in a large bowl and beat together with the butter and vanilla extract until really light, creamy and pale.
• Stir in the lemon and orange zest. Add the eggs a little at a time until all are well incorporated. Spoon in a tablespoon of the flour if the mixture starts to curdle and beat this in with the eggs.
• Place the flour in a large bowl and mix with a good pinch of salt and make a well in the centre. Add the yeast mixture then the butter and egg mixture, folding in with a large spoon to make a soft dough. Knead for 5 mins in the bowl until it all starts to come together. It will be a pretty sticky dough at this stage.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a further 10 mins, until everything has come together and you have a very soft and stretchy dough. Add a light sprinkling of flour to the surface and your hands as you go to stop the mixture sticking, but try not to add too much. Place in a lightly greased bowl and cover. Place in the fridge overnight to prove.
• Place the raisins and sultanas in a small saucepan with the rum and heat gently for 5 – 7 mins until the fruit has absorbed the liquid and is plump and juicy. Set aside to cool.
• When the dough is risen, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for another 5 mins. Gradually knead in the soaked raisins, sultanas and chopped candied peel. Shape the dough into a ball and pop into the prepared tin. If using a 20cm cake tin, wrap a layer of baking parchment around the outside of the tin, to come up about 5cm above the rim, and secure the paper with string. This will help contain the dough as it rises. Cover lightly with cling film and leave to rise for 3-4 hours depending on your room temperature, until it has doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Adjust the oven shelf to the right height. Mix together the almonds, caster sugar and egg white for the topping and gently brush over the top of the panettone. Place in the oven and bake for 40 - 50 mins until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before dusting lightly with icing sugar and cutting into wedges to serve.

Steps:

• Stir the vanilla bean paste into the beaten eggs and yolks. In a large bowl, beat the butter and all but 1 tsp of the sugar with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until light, thickened and creamy. Gradually add the beaten egg mixture, whisking continuously. (If the mix begins to curdle, add 1 tbsp of the strong bread flour.) Whisk in the zest of the orange and lemon.
• Warm the milk in a pan until tepid, then transfer to a small bowl. Crumble over the yeast, then add the 1 tsp reserved sugar. Stir until the yeast has dissolved, then set aside for a few minutes until the yeast activates and froths the milk.
• Sift the flour, sea salt and nutmeg into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, pour in the milky yeast and quickly mix through the flour. Add the whisked butter and eggs, folding in with a large spatula to make a soft, sticky dough.
• On a floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes until silky and smooth. The dough will initially be very sticky but, fear not, worked with floured hands and on a floured surface, it will eventually come together. Form into a ball, then place in a lightly floured bowl and cover with cling film. Leave in a warm place (an airing cupboard is ideal) for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, put the raisins and sultanas in a small pan with the rum, bring to a simmer, stir well, then remove from the heat and leave to plump up as they cool.
• When the dough has risen, tip onto a floured surface. Knead for a minute or so, then begin to knead in the raisins, sultanas and candied peel until evenly distributed. Form the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a 20cm loose-bottomed round cake tin or a ready-made panettone mould (see tips). Cover loosely with cling film. Leave to rise for 2 hours in a warm place until the dough has tripled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6.
• When risen, brush the top of the panettone with egg white and sprinkle with the pearl sugar, if using. Wrap a double layer of baking paper around the outside of the cake tin or panettone mould, high enough so it extends 10cm above the sides of the tin or mould. Secure with string.
• Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4 and bake for 30-35 minutes more. It’s ready when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. (You may need to cover the top with foil after 20 minutes’ cooking to prevent it browning too much.)
• If your panettone is in a tin, cool for 5 minutes before turning out, then leave on a wire rack to cool. Otherwise, cool completely in the mould on a wire rack. Dredge with icing sugar if you didn’t use pearl sugar. Slice and serve with a cup of espresso or a chilled glass of Vin Santo. For more helpful tips, check out our https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/stories/how-to-make-panettone-2/ >how to make panettone guide.