The risen ring cake with raisins and candied fruits is ultra-soft and fragrant, an excellent alternative to the panettone, which requires a much longer and laborious preparation.
The risen ring cake is perfect for the whole family, and if you prefer an even more indulgent version, you can add lots of chocolate chips.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4/6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for the risen ring cake with raisins and candied fruits:
- 3 3/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 tsp dry yeast
- 2/3 cup warm milk
- 5 1/2 tbsps soft butter
- 2 medium eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 medium egg yolk (at room temperature)
- 1 orange (zest grated and juice)
- 3/4 cup sultana raisins
- 1/3 cup mixed candied fruits
- 1 pinch fine salt
- as needed whole milk
- as needed sugar granules
- as needed powdered sugar
Tools for the risen ring cake with raisins and candied fruits:
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Work surface
Steps for preparing and baking the risen ring cake:
Grate the zest of an organic orange and then squeeze the juice.
Put the juice in a bowl and add the raisins, let it sit for 15 minutes.
Take the butter out of the fridge and cut it into small cubes.
In a bowl, put the warm milk, add the dry yeast and a teaspoon of granulated sugar (taken from the total amount of sugar), stir well and let it rest for 10 minutes.
In the stand mixer bowl, put the flour, a pinch of salt, the granulated sugar, start the machine to mix the ingredients, then add the milk with the dissolved yeast and when the liquid is well incorporated into the mixture, add the slightly beaten whole eggs and egg yolk, work the mixture until it starts to come together, then add the orange juice and previously grated zest, the butter in pieces (add them gradually, when you see they are incorporated into the mixture, add more).
Finally, add the raisins and candied fruits, work the mixture until it is smooth and homogeneous.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until it doubles (it will take 2/3 hours depending on the warmth in the house).
To speed up the rising, you can put the bowl in the oven with just the light on, creating an air chamber that promotes rising.
Once the dough has risen, place it on a floured work surface and divide it into three equal parts, form 3 lutoli about 18 inches long, then join them and make a braid, join the two ends to form a ring, place it on a large non-stick baking sheet.
Let it rise again for 30 minutes, then brush it with whole milk and add sugar granules. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 35 minutes until golden.
Let the risen ring cake cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
Tips:
If you like, you can add panettone flavoring.
