ITALIAN PANETTONE FESTIVE CAKE 

YOU WILL NEED :

• 1 cup sultanas 

• 2 slices glace pineapple 

• 2 tablespoons mixed peel 

• ½ cup rum 

• 90g ( 3oz ) compressed yeast 

• 1 teaspoon sugar 

• ½ cup lukewarm water 

• 3 eggs 

• 3 egg yolks, extra 

• 3 tablespoons sugar, extra 

• 5 cups plain flour 

• 1½ teaspoons salt 

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 

• 90g ( 3oz ) butter 

• 1 tablespoon oil 

• 1 cup lukewarm milk 

• 1 egg, extra, for glazing icing sugar

ITALIAN PANETTONE FESTIVE CAKE RECIPE:

Have butter at room temperature. Combine sultanas finely chopped pineapple chopped mixed peel and rum; let stand 30 minutes. Combine yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water in a small bowl; mix well. Let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes or until frothy. Beat eggs and extra egg yolks lightly, add extra sugar, and beat until combined. Sift flour and salt into a large bowl, and add lemon rind, butter, and oil. Stir in the egg mixture, lukewarm milk, yeast mixture, and the undrained fruit mixture.

Take a wooden spoon and beat the dough quickly and vigorously for about 5 minutes. This beating is important. When you start, the dough is almost like a cake batter; when beating is finished, the dough should all be elastic, leaving the sides of the bowl. ( The family could all help in the beating. )

Cover bowl, and let stand in a warm place for 45 minutes or until dough has doubled in bulk. Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface. 

Knead dough lightly. Cut the dough in half, and knead each half on the well-floured surface for 3 to 5 minutes or until the dough loses its stickiness. Place the halves in two well-greased 2-litre (8-cup) pudding basins. Cover basins, and let stand in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes or until the dough has doubled in bulk. The dough can also be put into two well-greased 3-litre (12-cup) billy cans; this gives a tall loaf. Let stand in a warm place for about 30 minutes until the dough doubles. 

To make the Panettone an outstanding centerpiece on the Christmas table, put the whole of the dough into the well-greased ceramic lift-out the center of a slow cooker, such as a Crock-Pot or Cook Pot. Make sure the basin is well-greased around the top. This needs a slightly longer proving time once the dough is in the basin; let stand in a warm place for about 45 minutes, until the dough doubles. 

Brush the tops of the Panettone with beaten extra egg.

For the pudding basins and billy cans, bake in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to moderate, and cook further 35 minutes or until cooked when tested. 

For the ceramic lift-out basin, cook in a moderately hot oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to moderate, and cook further 1 hour or until cooked when tested. Turn out immediately onto a wire rack to cool. Dust top with sifted icing sugar.

Also Read: ITALIAN SIENA CAKE