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Panettone vs Pandoro

Cake Wars: Panettone vs Pandoro

By: Effetto Italy  On: December 17, 2018  In: Food and Wine 

Ah – the holidays! It’s hard to believe that it’s that time of year again. But it just doesn’t feel like Christmas until we hear the ripping sound of the paper liner and smell the aroma of sweet dried fruits wafting through the air. Yes, we are talking about the mother of all Christmas cakes, the Panettone. But in the Effetto office, and in most homes across Italy, we have a fierce debate… which is the preferred sweet: Panettone or is it actually the Pandoro?

Both cakes are a staple during the holidays. Hailing from Milan, Panettone is a rich, dome-shaped loaf full of raisins and candied citron. A very labor-intensive bread, when done right, it can take days to make. Pandoro (translated to “golden bread”), which comes from Verona, is a buttery, star shaped confection and has a bright yellow hue.

As with most things Italian, both breads are steeped in history. In fact, there are quite a few origin stories for panettone. Our favorite involves the 15th century court of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, where, one Christmas, the chef burned the dessert. A scullery boy, named Toni, stepped in and offered the chef a sweet bread he had made out of leftovers. The chef presented the cake to the Duke, who proclaimed it a huge success. The chef then credited the young boy and the cake became known as panettone (Bread of Toni).

Pandoro, while equally delicious, has a less storied past. It was officially patented by pastry chef Domenico Melegatti in 1894, after he transformed the traditional Veronese Christmas dessert, the Nadalin, into a lighter cake, void of candied fruit.

Should you get a chance to weigh in on the debate and sample both this year, we recommend that you wash them down with a glass of prosecco, Moscato d’Asti or even a Brachetto d’Acqui. And of course, enjoy them with family and friends. There is truly no better way to get into the holiday spirit.

From all of us at Effetto Italy, buone feste e tanti auguri!


Ciao for now,
The Effetto Italy Team


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