Easter dove cake, a sweet of the Italian tradition

The  Easter dove cake is a leavened cake of the Italian tradition, unmissable on tables during Easter holidays. Its distinctive dove shape, symbol of peace and rebirth, intertwines history and legends, cultural meanings and a gastronomic evolution that culminates in products of excellence subject in Italy to a specific regulation.

Easter dove cake, between history and legends

The origins of the Easter dove cake are wrapped in a fascinating blend of history and legends, with various accounts claiming its birth:

• the Lombard legends (6th-7th century AD)Two main legends about the dove are connected to the Lombard period. The first tells that during the siege of Pavia in 572 AD, King Alboin received as a gift from the citizens sweet breads shaped like doves as a sign of peace, a gesture that prompted him to spare the city. The second legend concerns Saint Columbanus, guest of Queen Theodelinda during Lent in 614 AD. Faced with a sumptuous banquet of game, the saint, so as not to offend the queen and to respect the period of penance, blessed the meats which then turned intodoves made of bread;
• the battle of Legnano (1176). Another popular legend tells that during the battle between the Lombard league and the imperial army of Frederick Barbarossa, some doves landed on the league's insignia, instilling courage in the soldiers and announcing victory. To celebrate the event, sweet dove-shaped breads were prepared;
• the industrial history (20th century)Beyond medieval legends, the spread of the Easter dove beyond the borders of Lombardy has a more recent history linked to industrial ingenuity. In the 1930s, the Milanese confectionery company Motta, already known for panettone, had the idea to use the same machinery and a similar dough base to create a cake dedicated to Easter. The advertiser Dino Villani played a key role in promoting this product throughout Italy, emphasizing its symbolic shape and seasonality.Angelo Vergani, owner of a prestigious Milanese confectionery company, perfected the recipe in the 1940s, contributing to its national spread.

Dove, universal symbol of peace

The  the dove is one of the universal symbols of  peace, whose meaning is rooted both in religious tradition and modern culture:

• BibleThe dove is a symbol of peace originating in the Old Testament. In the story of the Great Flood, Noah releases a dove to check if the waters have receded, and it returns with a sign of hope: 'The dove returned to him in the evening: behold, it had a green olive branch in its beak. Noah understood that the waters had receded from the earth’ (Genesis 8:11). This event is interpreted as a symbol of peace, reconciliation, and rebirth, making the dove a universal icon of harmony;
• ChristianityThe dove is one of the most evocative symbols of the Holy Spirit. This representation mainly comes from the Gospel of Matthew, in the New Testament, where the baptism of Jesus is recounted: 'As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water: and behold, the heavens opened for him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him’ (Matthew 3:16). The dove, in this context, expresses divine presence, purity, inner peace, and spiritual mission. Since then, it has become the iconographic emblem of the Holy Spirit in Christian art (mosaics, frescoes, stained glass);
• Art and politics. In 1949 Pablo Picasso, who had lived through both World Wars and the Spanish Civil War, was invited to participate in the World Peace Congress in Paris. On that occasion, the artist drew a white dove on a black background. The drawing was chosen as the official poster of the congress and its original lithograph is still preserved at the Musée de Picasso in Paris. Since then the dove has become an international pacifist icon, used in subsequent congresses and adopted by many movements as a universal symbol againstwar and for civil rights that transcend every cultural and linguistic barrier.

The Easter dove cake in Italian tradition

The Easter dove has a deep meaning in the culture and Italian tradition of celebrations, in Italy:

• symbol of Easter. The dove is universally recognized as a symbol of peace, resurrection, and the Holy Spirit in Christian tradition. Its presence on the Easter table reinforces the message of renewal and hope connected to this holiday;
• family tradition: Like panettone at Christmas, the dove has become an essential element of Easter family celebrations. Sharing it during lunch is a rite that unites generations;
• craftsmanship and regionality: Although industrial production is widespread, many artisanal bakeries keep local traditions alive, often with regional variations in ingredients and decorations.

Dove, the regulatory requirements in Italy

In  Italy, the interministerial decree (DM) July 22, 2005 and subsequent amendments introduced the regulatory requirements that a series of bakery confectionery products must meet in order to use the related names, which thus acquire the characteristics of legal denominations  of foods.

Denomination 'dove'

‘The denomination «the dove» is reserved for the  bakery confectionery product  with soft dough, obtained by  natural fermentation from sourdough, with an irregular oval shape similar to the dove, a  soft structure with elongated alveoli, with  Glazing on top and a  decoration made of sugar granules and at least  2% almonds, referred to the finished product and measured at the time of decoration’ (DM 22/07/05, article 3.1).

Dove dough: mandatory ingredients

‘The dove dough contains the following ingredients: a)  wheat flour [or gluten-free flours, for products specifically formulated for celiacs, ed. DM 22/07/05, article 8-bis]; b)  sugar; c)  category ‘A’ hen eggs or egg yolk derived from category A hen eggs, or both, in quantities sufficient to guarantee no less than four percent yolk; d)  butter obtained directly and exclusively from cow's milk cream with a contribution in butterfat, in an amount not less than 16%; e) candied citrus peels, in an amount not less than 15% [the subsequent Ministerial Decree 16/05/17, article 7.2, provided for the possibility of excluding this ingredient, editor's note]; f) natural yeast consisting of sourdough; g) Salt including iodized salt’ (Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, article 3.2).

Dove dough: optional ingredients

‘The producer may also add the following ingredients: a)  Milk and derivatives; b)  Honey; c)  cocoa butter; d)  malt; e)  sugars; f)  yeast having the requirements referred to in art. 8 of the decree of the President of the Republic of November 30, 1998, no. 502, up to the limit of 1%; g)  natural flavors [the category of 'identical natural flavors', also provided for, was instead abolished by Reg. EU 1333/08, editor's note]; h) emulsifiers; i) the preservative sorbic acid; j) the preservative potassium sorbate’ (Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, article 3.3).

Glazing

The  Glazing top layer must be obtained with egg white and sugar, and the producer may add the following ingredients:

‘a) finely ground almonds, bitter almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews; b) rice, corn and wheat flour; c) cocoa; d) sugars; e) starches; f) vegetable oils and fats [whose vegetable origin must always be specified on the label, according to Reg. (EU) 1169/11, Annex VII, point 8, editor's note]; g) natural flavors [and 'identical natural', no longer permitted]; h) emulsifiers; i) the preservative sorbic acid; j) the preservative potassium sorbate’ (Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, article 3, paragraphs 4 and 5).

Fillings, syrups, decorations

The producer has the option to:

• add to the Easter dove ‘fillings, syrups, coatings, glazings, decorations and fruit, as well as other characteristic ingredients’, provided that the base dough represents at least 50% of the product and does not contain fats other than butter;
• avoid the glazing on top with related decoration (sugar granules and almonds), in case of colombe covered or to be covered with other characteristic ingredients (Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, article 7 –  Special and enriched products).

Production process

‘The technological process of making the colomba involves the following processing stages, which may be combined:

a) preparation of sourdough; b) fermentation; c) dough preparation with ingredient dosing and addition of inert ingredients, and kneading; d) portioning; e) "pirlatura", placing the dough in cooking molds; f) leavening; g) glazing and decoration; h) cooking; i) cooling; j) packaging’ (Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, Annex II).

Labeling

TheLabeling of the Easter colomba, in the European Union, is subject to the  Food Information Regulation  (EU) No 1169/11. Italy has duly notified the European Commission – in accordance with the TRIS (Technical Regulations Information System) Directive – of its own Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, so that only products meeting the requirements described therein may be marketed with the  legal denomination 'colomba'  on the Italian market. The diminutives ‘colombina’ and similar are also allowed for small-sized products made in compliance with the above rules.

The denomination ‘colomba’ must be supplemented with an indication, depending on the cases, of:

• absence of citrus peels candied fruit or of absence/modification of Glazing and related decoration.
• presence of  fillings, syrups, coverings, glazes, decorations and fruit, as well as other characterizing ingredients – whose additions may be ‘listed on the label separately from the dough ingredients’;
• explicit reference, in the above cases, to ‘main characterizing ingredients possibly used in addition or substitution’ to the ordinary ones (Ministerial Decree 22/07/05, article 8 –  Labeling).

Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT)

The Easter Dove is recognized as a  Traditional Agri-food Product (PAT) of the only Italian region of  Veneto (with the ‘Easter Dove of Verona PAT’), although its industrial origin is attributed to Lombardy and specifically to the city of Milan, thanks to Motta and especially Vergani.

The recognition  PAT has no legal value yet certifies that the product is made using processing, preservation and aging methods consolidated over time, homogeneous across the entire concerned territory, according to traditional rules, for a period of no less than twenty-five years.

Gastronomic elements

The traditional Easter dove is a soft-leavened cake made from a dough similar to panettone, but with a dove shape and a distinctive glaze. The  traditional ingredients  include:

• flour. Generally, soft wheat flour type ‘0’ or ‘00’ is used, suitable for long leavening;
• yeast. Natural sourdough (starter) is a mandatory ingredient, although the addition of brewer's yeast (to be reported on the label) is allowed;
• granulated sugar;
• eggs: category A, especially yolks, to give color and richness to the dough;
• butter in significant quantity (>16%), for softness and aroma;
• candied citrus peels, such as orange and citron. The traditional richness of the Easter dove;
• natural flavors: citrus, vanilla, and possibly others;
• glaze. Made from egg white, powdered sugar and almond flour, sometimes integrated with corn starch or emulsifiers (of lesser quality) to increase consistency;
• decoration: whole almonds and sugar grains, on the glaze, before baking.

The traditional recipe is rich in itself, but it has undergone several  gastronomic evolutions with variants that include:

• fillings. Pistachio, chocolate, and lemon creams are the most common;
• coverings. Chocolate glazes (white, dark, milk) and various other decorations.
• alternative ingredients. Special flours, and gluten-free or candied fruit-free versions to meet different needs.

Elements of excellence

Theexcellence in the production of  Easter dove cake is manifested through various factors:

• quality of the ingredients. The use of organic or carefully selected raw materials, such as high-quality fresh butter, eggs from free-range hens, only natural mother yeast, and artisanal candied citrus fruits without emulsifiers, characterize products of excellence;
• traditional processing. Producers of excellence still carry out long leavening with only ‘mother’ yeast, live microbial cultures (yeasts and bacteria) maintained for decades and refreshed over time, to guarantee the softness of the dough and the authenticity of traditional flavors;
• innovation respecting tradition. Some master pastry chefs experiment with new flavor and ingredient combinations, while maintaining the traditional base and iconic shape of the Easter dove cake;
• recognitions and awards. Various national competitions and selections reward the best artisan Easter dove cakes, evaluating aspects such as aroma, softness, taste, and ingredient balance;
• enhancement of the territory. The use of local ingredients and respect for regional recipes – such as that of the Easter dove cake of Verona, registered in the Traditional Agri-food Products (PAT) register of the Veneto region – further contribute to the product’s excellence and uniqueness.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the Easter dove is much more than a simple dessert: it is a symbol steeped in history and legend, a cultural element rooted in Italian family traditions, a product that in some of its variants boasts PAT recognitions, and a pastry field where gastronomic excellence is expressed through the quality of the ingredients, artisanal craftsmanship, and the ability to innovate while respecting tradition.festivities.

Dario Dongo

Credit cover: GIFT – photographs Stefano Vergani

Notes

Italy, interministerial decree (DM) July 22, 2005, amended by subsequent DM May 16, 2017.  Regulation of the production and sale of certain baked confectionery products. https://tinyurl.com/mbu8v3ky