Soft, fragrant and perfect for spring: the strawberry colomba cake is a simple yet impressive dessert, ideal to serve at Easter. A homemade take on the classic Easter colomba, easy to prepare and perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or as a dessert to share with the whole family.
The batter is soft and delicate, enriched with almond flour which makes the cake even more aromatic and slightly moist. Inside you will find plenty of pieces of fresh strawberries, which become sweet and juicy during baking. For this recipe I used strawberries purchased at MD, perfect for bringing color and a fresh, natural flavor to the cake.
The cake is baked in a classic colomba mold, thus recalling the shape of the traditional Easter sweet, but with a much faster preparation compared to a traditional colomba. Making it even more tempting is the classic almond glaze, prepared with egg white, almond flour and powdered sugar, which forms that irresistible crunchy crust in the oven.
I finished the surface with whole Gioie di Frutta almonds, which add crunchiness and an even richer taste.
The result is a soft strawberry colomba cake, fragrant and delicious, perfect for anyone looking for a homemade Easter cake that is simple but truly special.
Follow me step by step in the recipe and let’s make this delicious dove-shaped Easter cake together!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter, Spring
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 7 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 7/8 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup peeled almonds Gioie di Frutta (For almond flour)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 grated zest of one lemon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 2/3 cup fresh strawberries MD
- 1 egg white
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup peeled almonds Gioie di Frutta
- as needed whole almonds Gioie di Frutta
- as needed coarse sugar
Steps
Thoroughly wash the strawberries purchased at MD, pat them dry gently with kitchen paper and cut them into small pieces. Set them aside.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar using an electric mixer until you obtain a pale, light and frothy mixture.
Pour in the sunflower oil and the milk while continuing to mix with the beaters until the batter is homogeneous.Pulse the 1/2 cup of peeled Gioie di Frutta almonds until finely ground and add them to the batter. Then add the all-purpose flour and baking powder (sifted), the grated lemon zest and the pinch of salt. Stir until the batter is smooth and free of lumps.
Fold the MD strawberries (cut into pieces) into the batter using a spatula to distribute them evenly.
Pour the batter into the colomba mold.Pulse the remaining 1/3 cup of peeled Gioie di Frutta almonds until finely ground.
In a small bowl, mix the egg white, powdered sugar and almond flour until you obtain a thick, homogeneous cream.
Spread the glaze over the surface of the batter.Finish the surface with whole Gioie di Frutta almonds, which will make the glaze even crunchier and more delicious, and sprinkle some coarse sugar.
Bake the cake in a conventional (non-fan) oven at 338°F for about 40–45 minutes.
Always perform the toothpick test before removing: if it comes out dry, the cake is ready.Allow the strawberry colomba cake to cool completely before slicing so it remains soft and perfect to serve.
… Vane’s tips
Thoroughly dry the MD strawberries after washing to prevent them from making the batter too wet.
Cut the strawberries into small pieces to distribute them better in the cake.
To avoid them sinking, you can lightly dust them with flour before adding them to the batter.
The glaze should be thick so it stays on the surface during baking.
Add whole Gioie di Frutta almonds on top of the glaze to achieve the classic crunchy crust of the colomba.
Always check doneness with the toothpick test before removing from the oven.
