The Science of Yeast Cakes (+ Recipe)

This Danish kringle recipe features a flaky pastry crust braided around a sweet, creamy filling.

Italy is a country famous for its cuisine. From delicious pizza and pasta to world-famous cheeses and award-winning wines, there’s so much to offer. But let’s not forget about Italy’s mouthwatering desserts and pastries too.

Whether it’s to accompany your morning coffee, a mid-afternoon snack, or a delicious dessert to round off a great meal, there are countless types of Italian pastries to choose from. Which makes narrowing down this list of ‘best’ an extremely difficult job.

After much deliberation and eating a lot of Italian pastries – it’s a tough job but somebody’s got to do it – we decided that these are the best Italian pastries that everyone needs to try at least once. And if you’re feeling creative, we’ve included some of the best Italian pastry recipes from around the web.

This beautiful cinnamon star bread recipe is shockingly easy to create. It’s perfect for so many occasions—from holiday breakfast to a regular old Saturday brunch. The beauty of this easier-than-it-looks recipe is that you can play with the flavors to match your mood, sweet or savory! You’ll find the recipe and some variations below.

This recipe is an adaptation of one from my in my book Holiday and Celebration Breads in Five Minutes a Day using this White Bread Master Recipe. You can watch me make this in the Breakfast Basics episode (Season 2, episode 2) of Zoë Bakes on Magnolia Network!

This episode is now streaming on Magnolia Network on discovery+ and will be released on cable later this year.

This cinnamon star bread looks complicated and fancy, so you’ll be surprised at just how simple it is to make!

Enriched Dough

• (1,065 grams) all-purpose flour
• (67 grams) granulated sugar
• (10 grams) yeast
• (17 grams) kosher salt
• (680 grams) lukewarm water

Star Bread filling and finish*

Enriched Dough

• Mix the flour, granulated sugar, yeast, salt, water, and oil in a 6-quart lidded container or a 5-quart stand mixer. Allow the dough to double in size, about 2 hours.

Shape Star Bread

• Divide 2 pounds of the enriched dough into four 1/2-pound pieces. Store the rest of the dough in the refrigerator for another use. Roll the pieces into balls, and let rest for 15 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.

• In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon until well combined. In another bowl, prepare the egg wash by beating the egg with a tablespoon of water.

• With a rolling pin, roll out the dough balls into 12-inch circles. Place one of the circles on a piece of parchment paper. Brush with some of the egg wash using a pastry brush, and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

• Place another circle on top of the first circle, and brush with egg wash and sprinkle with another 1/3 of cinnamon-sugar filling. Repeat with one more circle, then place the final circle on top.

• Place a small bowl or biscuit cutter, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, in the center of the circle, and then use a bench scraper to cut the circle into 16 equal strips, cutting through all the layers.

• Once you’ve cut all of the strips, remove the biscuit cutter and add a final layer of egg wash to the top to create a nice golden-brown crust.

• Take two pieces of dough and twist them away from each other twice. Pinch the ends of the pairs of strips firmly together. Repeat around the whole circle to create the star (you should end up with 8 points).

• Transfer the star on the parchment to a baking sheet. Cover the star gently with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 hour, until a bit puffy. During this time, preheat the oven to 375°F.

• Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.

• Remove from the oven and brush with soft butter using a pastry brush. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

*Link to my Cranberry Raspberry or Pesto Filling Recipes!

Let us know how it was!

Who says you can’t have dessert with breakfast? Not us! These easy pastry recipes take less than 15 minutes to prep and are the perfect excuse to indulge in the morning.

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

While cinnamon swirl bread is a natural for breakfast, we love it so much we enjoy it all day long. This is a nice twist on traditional cinnamon swirl yeast breads. —Helen Richardson, Shelbyville, Michigan

Go to Recipe

Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits

Because these sweet treats are so easy, I’m almost embarrassed when people ask me for the recipe. They’re a snap to make with refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, sugar, cinnamon and your favorite fruit preserves. —Ione Burham, Washington, Iowa

Quick Cherry Turnovers

Refrigerated crescent rolls let you make these fruit-filled pastries in a hurry. My family loves these turnovers for breakfast, but they’re so delicious, they’d be welcome any time of the day. Feel free to experiment with other pie fillings as well. —Elleen Oberrueter, Danbury, Iowa

Chocolate Banana Bundles

Banana with chocolate is such an irresistible combo that I make this quick dessert often. You can also top these tasty bundles with the butter and brown sugar mixture left over from coating the bananas, or sprinkle on a dash of sea salt. —Thomas Faglon, Somerset, New Jersey

Caramel Bubble Ring

Lots of caramel and ice cream topping make this quick pull-apart bread oh so gooey and delicious. It truly is a finger-lickin’ good baked good.—Laura Clifton, Wenatchee, Washington

Lemon Pound Cake Muffins

I make these lemony muffins for all kinds of occasions. My family always requests them when we have a brunch. They’re so good! —Lola Baxter, Winnebago, Minnesota

Cherry Chip Scones

These buttery scones dotted with dried cherries and vanilla chips are so sweet and flaky that I sometimes serve them for dessert. —Pam Brooks, South Berwick, Maine

Chocolate Toffee Biscuits

These sweet, crunchy biscuits are so quick and easy to mix up, they’re my go-to treat with my morning coffee. —Wendy Weatherall, Cargill, Ontario

Ricotta-Raisin Coffee Cake

These few ingredients go together quickly so I can have a warm coffee cake to serve overnight guests for breakfast. If you don’t have or don’t like cardamom, substitute any sweet spice. I recommend ground nutmeg, cinnamon or allspice. —Carol Gaus, Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Raspberry Cheese Danish

Moist Pumpkin Scones

After trying a pumpkin scone at a coffee house, I was inspired to look for a recipe to try at home. The glaze nicely complements the pumpkin flavor.

Banana Macadamia Muffins

These muffins taste even better the next day, so to save time, I often make them the night before. They stay moist for days. —Stasha Wampler, Clinchport, Virginia

Banana Beignet Bites

When I was a little girl, my grandmother took me aside one day and taught me how to make her famous banana beignets. Although we made them during the holidays, they’re pretty fantastic any time of the year. —Amy Downing, South Riding, Virginia

Berry-Filled Doughnuts

Four ingredients are all you’ll need for this sure-bet breakfast treat. Friends and family will never guess that refrigerated buttermilk biscuits are the base for these golden, jelly-filled doughnuts. —Ginny Watson, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

Lemon Pull-Apart Coffee Cake

I found this recipe in a newspaper and make it often. I like to bake this coffee cake when unexpected company stops in and I need something speedy to go with a cup of coffee. —Mary Tallman, Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin

Pumpkin Ginger Scones

I made these lovely scones one day when looking for a way to use up leftover pumpkin, and I was so excited with the results. I often use my food processor to stir up the dough just until it comes together. It’s so simple to prepare this way. —Brenda Jackson, Garden City, Kansas

Apricot Cream Biscuits

Melt-in-your-mouth good when warm, these shortcut biscuits with a hint of orange prove that the right mix really can offer homemade taste. —Betty Saint Turner, Attalla, Alabama

Pecan Coffee Cake

My mom serves this nutty coffee cake for Christmas breakfast each year. The simple recipe is a big timesaver on such an event-filled morning. Everyone loves the crunchy topping. —Becky Wax, Tuscola, Illinois

Pumpkin Doughnut Drops

I always have a few special treats handy when the grandchildren visit. These cake doughnuts are one of their favorite snacks. —Beva Staum, Muscoda, Wisconsin

Cranberry Banana Coffee Cake

I make this moist cake for Christmas morning every year. It tastes like banana bread but has a sweet golden topping with a nutty crunch. —Gloria Friesen, Casper, Wyoming

Glazed Doughnut Holes

Here’s a simple recipe to create a colorful and fun breakfast—or snack! For the glaze, use any type of juice you like. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Sour Cream Chip Muffins

Take one bite and you’ll see why I think these rich, tender muffins are the best I’ve ever tasted. Mint chocolate chips make them a big hit with my family and friends. —Stephanie Moon, Boise, Idaho

Apple Pear Coffee Cake

A friend gave me this apple pear coffee cake recipe to make for a breakfast I was hosting. The pan was empty before the breakfast was over! It’s one of my most-requested recipes, probably because it’s a bit different. —Joanne Hoschette, Paxton, Massachusetts

Cranberry Nut Muffins

These are delicious, beautiful muffins. I serve them during the holidays or anytime cranberries are available. The leftovers always make good breakfast treats. Through the years I’ve tried many cranberry recipes for bread and muffins, but this remains my family’s all-time favorite! —Flo Burtnett, Gage, Oklahoma

Buttercup Squash Coffee Cake

Cappuccino Muffins

These are my favorite muffins to serve with a cup of coffee or a tall glass of cold milk. Not only are they great for breakfast, they make a tasty dessert or midnight snack. I get lots of recipe requests whenever I serve them. The espresso spread is also super on a bagel. —Janice Schulz, Racine, Wisconsin

Rich Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

When I was a teacher, this recipe was recommended by one of my student’s parents. I’ve made it so many times, I can’t imagine hosting a brunch without it. Chocolate chips add sweet bursts of flavor to the rich and tender coffee cake. —Michelle Krzmarzick
Torrance, California

Raspberry Breakfast Braid

We also like using blackberries, Marionberries, a mixture of raspberries and blackberries, or all three in this quick and easy pastry. —Tressa Nicholls, Sandy, Oregon

Pecan Pie Mini Muffins

While these are delicious year-round, you could easily turn them into an edible Christmas gift. They look festive on a decorative tray wrapped in red or green cellophane or tucked into a giveaway cookie plate. And don’t forget to include the recipe so your recipient can enjoy this treat over and over again! —Pat Schrand, Enterprise, Alabama

Monkey Bread

Both of my boys really enjoyed helping me make this butterscotch monkey bread when they were young. It seemed to taste twice as good when they helped fix it. It’s one of our favorites for breakfast or as a snack. —Carol Allen, McLeansboro, Illinois

Cherry Almond Streusel Scones

My kids and I love to mix the ingredients together and turn out these delicious scones. The tart cherries and the brown sugar and almond streusel complement the tender scones perfectly. —Teresa Ralston, New Albany, Ohio

Monkey Bread Biscuits

I came up with an easy, savory—instead of sweet—dinner version of monkey bread featuring garlic and Italian seasoning. —Dana Johnson, Scottsdale, Arizona

Cinnamon Doughnut Muffins

Back when my children were youngsters, they loved these doughnut muffins as after-school treats or with Sunday brunch. —Sharon Pullen, Alvinston, Ontario

Lemon Blueberry Drop Scones

I enjoy serving these fruity scones for baby and bridal showers. They’re a bit lower in fat than most other scones, so you can indulge with little guilt. —Jacqueline Hendershot, Orange, California. Check out this drop scones recipe by Queen Elizabeth.

I always love digging out my box of sweet bread recipes because so many of them remind me of cooking with my great-grandma on lazy Saturday afternoons.

She was the best bread maker; no bread machine was needed. If I live another 100 years, I’ll probably still not make bread as good as hers, but I’m learning.

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If you love baking bread or are considering giving it a try for the first time, you’ve come to the right place.

These 25 recipes are some of the sweetest, tastiest, loveliest ones you’ll find.

I’ve tried to include a good mixture of “old-school” breads, such as condensed milk bread and homemade Amish sweet bread.

I’ve also added plenty of modern bread recipes, such as the Starbucks lemon loaf and Paula Deen’s cinnamon rolls. 

I hope you find a few new favorites while browsing through my choices. 

1. Hawaiian Sweet Bread

If you don’t love King Hawaiian sweet rolls, you may need to get your tastebuds checked. Those rolls are phenomenal – soft, sweet, and as pillowy as a cloud. 

With this recipe, you can make Hawaiian loaf bread that feels, tastes, and even smells the same.

With its thin, brown layer of crust and light, white insides, this bread is always a hit.

2. Homemade Amish Sweet Bread

The Amish do many things right, but one of the things they do best is bake bread.

People pay obscene sums of money for an authentic loaf of Amish sweet bread. 

But now that you have this recipe, you won’t have to be one of them because you can make your own. It’s only slightly sweet, but it’s thick, soft, and delicious. 

I like to add a bit of melted butter to the top before I eat it.

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3. Cinnamon Sugar Quick Bread

With a lovely swirl of cinnamon and sugar straight through the middle, this quick bread is as pretty as it is tasty, and it’s a whole lot of both. 

It’s thick and crumbly, with a delightfully sweet flavor that’s hard not to love. You’ll enjoy toasting a slice or two and having it for breakfast. 

4. Italian Easter Sweet Bread

You can make this incredible, orange-flavored braided bread with only eight ingredients.

Surprisingly enough, one of those ingredients is a russet potato! 

You’ll never taste it, though. With this bread, you’ll taste orange, sugar, and just a hint of sweet milk. If you enjoy citrus flavors, you’ll love it.

5. Twisted Sweet Bread

I wouldn’t care if this bread tasted terrible; it’s so beautiful, I’d still love it, anyway. Luckily, there’s nothing terrible about it. 

It’s light and airy, and it has an unbelievably yummy filling of cream cheese and jam. (I like strawberry.) 

It tastes a little like a cream cheese danish, but it’s not as dense and heavy on your stomach.

6. Mama’s Southern Sweet Bread

You can call this one whatever you like, but at the end of the day, this pretty, golden-brown sweet bread is an un-iced cake. 

If it makes you feel healthier, calling it bread, by all means, do so. But this is cake.

It’s soft, sweet, and spongy, and I like to pile it high with Cool Whip and sliced sugared strawberries.

7. Moist Banana Bread

Banana bread is a favorite in my household.

The bread’s softness, the walnuts’ crunch, the bananas’ sweetness, and the lemon juice’s sharp kick – it’s almost perfect.

The only complaint I ever have about it is that it’s sometimes a bit too dry. This recipe, though, takes care of that.

This bread is as moist and flavorful as a slice of fresh-from-the-oven cake.

Honestly, I think it’s the lemon juice and sour cream.

That’s what makes this recipe different from all the rest, and I think that’s why it isn’t as dry as the others.

8. Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread

This dense, rich bread has chunks of real cranberries and chopped nuts and a decadent streusel topping that’ll have you salivating before you even taste it.

9. Starbucks Lemon Loaf

You’ll make this fluffy, airy lemon loaf using a copycat Starbucks recipe, and the result is spot-on.

It’s so sweet and soft, and the zesty lemon glaze adds a touch of tartness that’ll tingle your tongue.

Best of all, it’s easy to make. Simply mix all your ingredients in a bowl, then pour the mixture into a loaf pan.

Bake it until your kitchen starts to smell lemon-fresh (a little less than an hour).

Then pour your glaze over it and let it set for half an hour before serving it.

10. Starbucks Pumpkin Bread

It’s moist and dense; it’s spicy and sweet. It’s a copycat Starbucks pumpkin bread, and it’s even better than their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte.

It takes a little time to make, but once you take that first bite, you won’t regret a single second of effort.

11. Butter Pecan Bread With Butter Pecan Glaze

This bread cake is butter pecan heaven. The batter is butter pecan; the glaze is butter pecan; heck, even the butter you use in it is butter pecan.

Trust me; if you’re a fan of butter pecan, there is nothing about this tasty treat that you won’t like.

12. Granny’s Monkey Bread

Pull-apart monkey bread is one of the sweetest, gooiest, and messiest breads you’ll ever eat, and it’s so much better when it’s homemade instead of frozen.

Requiring only five ingredients and 45 minutes to make, it’s also surprisingly simple.

Whether you’re baking for yourself, your friends and family, or a big group of kids, everyone will love this bread.

13. Chocolate Zucchini Bread

If you enjoy zucchini bread, wait until you try it with chocolate. 

This recipe takes everything you love most about zucchini bread – its moistness, sweetness, and chunkiness – and adds Dutch chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips to it.

Each bite is more robust and chocolatey than the last. There’s no sweet-talking or getting around this one.

This is pure, decadent cake, and no one will ever confuse it for bread.

14. Cinnamon and Spice Sweet Potato Bread

Although it’s sweet and tasty, cinnamon and spice sweet potato bread really is bread.

However, it’s so fluffy, moist, and spongy that most people will swear it’s cake.

It’s a dense, dark bread, and thanks to the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves, it’s ideal for the fall and winter months.

15. Paula Deen’s Cinnamon Rolls

Whether or not you’re a fan, there’s no denying that Paula Deen can cook, and if there were any doubt about it, these cinnamon rolls would quickly dispel it. 

They’re a sweet, gooey, sticky mess, and they taste so good, you’ll be tempted to lick your fingers and the plate.

16. Glazed Strawberry Bread

There is simply nothing bad you can say about this marvelous strawberry quick bread.

It’s tender and moist, and it has big chunks of real strawberries in it. 

That right there is enough to convince most people it’s delicious.

However, you’ll also add a sweet, creamy glaze to the top, and that knocks it up into a whole new category of yumminess.

Although I haven’t tried it yet, I’ll bet you could also use this recipe with blueberries, raspberries, or any of your other favorite berries.

17. Lemon Blueberry Bread

This lemony loaf takes some time to make, but if you like sweets that flawlessly blend the sweet with tart and zesty, you’ll love this recipe.

If you prefer a sweeter taste, you may want to leave the lemon juice out of the glaze. 

There’s still enough lemon in the bread to give you that delightful tartness, but adding more to the glaze is a bit too much for some people.

Personally, I say bring on the lemons!

18. Pineapple Bread

Because you’ll add one and a half cups of pineapples and juice to this bread, it’s one of the moistest quick breads you’ll ever make. 

I swear, every time I bite into it, I almost expect pineapple juice to run down my chin.

It doesn’t, but it’s still spectacular, particularly if you enjoy sweets with a more tropical flavor.

19. Dutch Apple Bread

This soft, thick bread is buttery and full of apples, and I could sit and eat it by the handfuls with just the bread itself. 

However, it also has streusel topping made of cinnamon and brown sugar and a generous spread of vanilla glaze icing on top of that. 

In short, this is some of the sweetest of all the sweet breads.

You may want to pair it with a cup of black coffee or unsweetened tea to help offset all the sugar.

20. Braided Sweet Bread

Everything you need to know about this scrumptious bread is right there in the name. It’s braided; it’s sweet; it’s bread.

Put those three things together, and you’ll have a gorgeous, tasty treat.

It’s perfectly golden-brown with a slightly crispy outer crust, but the inside is pillow-soft, light, and airy.

It’s sweet, but not dessert sweet, meaning you can eat it as an appetizer or with dinner.

21. Grandma’s Portuguese Sweet Bread

This bread is very similar to the braided sweet bread.

The main difference is that you’ll also add milk and butter to it. You’ll also leave out the turbinado sugar. 

The result is a richer, denser bread that tastes more natural and less sugary sweet. They’re both beautiful and golden-brown, though.

22. Condensed Milk Bread

These soft, fluffy rolls feel like clouds, and once you add the butter and condensed milk glaze, they’ll almost literally melt in your mouth.

They’re sweet, but not overly so, and they taste great by themselves, with a tall glass of milk, or served with dinner.

If you want to kick them up a notch, cover them with some homemade cinnamon butter.

23. Buttermilk Sweet Bread

If you’re looking for genuinely old-school bread like your grandma used to make, check out this recipe for buttermilk sweet bread. 

It’s dense, thick, and crumbly, and although it isn’t dessert sweet like many loaves on this list, it’s incredibly yummy. 

It’s also easy to make this one a savory treat by adding cheese, chives, garlic, and other tasty ingredients.

24. Cinnamon Sugar Donut Sweet Bread

This bread is surprisingly filling to be so soft and fluffy. It’s also unbelievably sweet. It’s bread, not a donut, but it certainly tastes like a donut. 

It’s sweetened with sugar, vanilla, and molasses, and there’s a generous sprinkling of cinnamon added in, as well. 

It’s primarily the coating that makes it instant-sugar-high sweet, though.

You’ll make it from melted butter, white and brown sugars, whole milk, and cinnamon. 

It gives it an exquisite flavor, and it also makes it look lovely; the dusting of sugar all over it almost makes the bread sparkle.

25. Sweet Orange Bread

You can have this incredible orange bread ready for the oven in about 5 to 10 minutes, and it’s so good, it doesn’t need a glaze.

It requires fewer than ten ingredients to make, and all of them are everyday pantry staples. 

In addition to looking pretty, this bread is sweet and citrusy, and you can enjoy it as a dessert or as a sweet breakfast option.

Most cakes nowadays become airy thanks to the use of frothy eggs, or more commonly, by adding baking soda or baking powder. However, just like we can leaven bread with yeast, we can do the same for cakes! Though nowadays they’re not as common, yeast-leavened cakes have been around for a long time, longer than those made with baking powder and baking soda.

Yeast cakes may take a little longer to make since they need to prove, but, they have a few distinct features. Yeast enables the use of more flour and sturdier textures but does limit the amount of sugar as well as fat. As a result, these cakes tend to be less sweet and fatty than ‘regular’ cakes. But not less delicious 😉.

Yeast Cake Science

1. What’s special about a yeast-leavened cake?
   • Yeast is a living microorganism, keep it happy!
   • Less sugar and fat, more flour
   • Yeast adds flavor & moistness
   • Uneven hole texture
2. Types of yeast-leavened cakes
3. Yeast and baking powder cakes are not interchangeable
4. Sources

What’s special about a yeast-leavened cake?

Yeast works very differently than whipped eggs, baking soda or baking powder. As such, how you make a yeasted cake can be quite different than a ‘conventional’ cake. It’s all about understanding the yeast and letting it do its thing, in the right amount of time.

Yeast is a living microorganism, keep it happy!

First of all, keep in mind that yeast is a living microorganism. It can only leaven a cake when it’s alive and likes the conditions it’s at. Make it too hot and the yeast will die, so that’s a definite no-go. For most baking yeasts, temperatures well above 40°C (104°F) kill off (part of) the yeast cells, reducing the activity. Yeast cells also don’t do well when there’s too much sugar, and the same applies for fat.

Once it’s under conditions it enjoys, yeast leavens a cake batter by converting sugars into gas, carbon dioxide through a process called fermentation. The carbon dioxide bubbles this creates form little air bubbles within the cake, which lighten up the cake. Fermentation proceeds more quickly at higher temperatures and needs enough sugars to proceed at a reasonable rate. Nevertheless, fermentation will generally take an hour or more. During this time, the cake batter needs to be strong enough to hold onto the gas bubbles that were created.

Baking powder and baking soda are chemicals that react once heated. The warmer it is, the faster they go. It’s generally best to place a cake batter made with either of these in the oven as soon as possible to prevent them from being ‘finished’ before the cake starts baking.

Less sugar and fat, more flour

As a result, compared to a cake made using baking powder yeast cake generally contains:

• Less sugar: else the yeast would grow too slowly
• Less fat: same story, else the yeast would grow too slowly
• More flour: this is an automatic result of the other ingredients being present in lower quantities. But, there’s another reason. Flour is often the core structural component in these cakes. It ensures the cake batter and cooked cake can hold onto their own texture and are sufficiently stable.

This different ratio of ingredients impacts your cake’s overall texture. A cake made with baking soda or baking powder tends to have a light, slightly crumbly texture. However, by using yeast the cake will be less crumbly and a little denser.

Yeast cakes don’t need cake flour

Non-yeast cakes often benefit from being made with cake flour. This flour is ground more finely and contains a low amount of proteins, aka gluten. However, a yeast cake generally works best when made with a higher protein content flour, such as all purpose flour or even bread flour. The protein helps create that structure you need to hold onto the air bubbles created during leavening.

Nevertheless, there’s no need to extensively develop gluten proteins when baking a yeasted cake. Instead, regular mixing, as when making a regular cake is enough. The cake simply doesn’t need to rise as much as a bread and has all that sugar and fat to help create an nice texture.

Yeast adds flavor & moistness

Yeast doesn’t just bring air into a dough or batter. While it’s fermenting away, it also produces all sorts of flavor molecules. These aren’t necessarily very apparent but do improve the overall flavor profile of the cake, especially when left to prove for some time..

You might also know that sourdough bread tends to dry out less quickly than conventional yeast-risen bread. The same goes for yeast-leavened cakes versus conventional ones. They tend to hold on to moisture a little better and can be kept quite ok, although the difference isn’t as clear as for bread since both the high amounts of sugar and fat in cakes help increase its shelf life as well.

Uneven hole texture

Yeast cakes tend to have a different hole structure as well. You might end up with some larger and some smaller holes. This is due to the nature of fermentation. In some areas it might happen just a little faster than in other areas.

Types of yeast-leavened cakes

A lot of cakes leavened with yeast are location-based recipes, stemming from a specific (often European) region. To name just a few:

• Gugelhopf / Guglhopf / Kugelhopf: This yeasted cake stems from central Europe and may have originated in several different countries, people don’t agree on which. The different names all refer to a similarly shaped round cake with a hole in a middle (similar to cakes made in a Bundt pan). Nowadays you’ll be able to find plenty of “Kugelhopf” recipes though which use baking powder or soda. But since yeast does require a different environment to thrive, these cakes do taste different.

• Panettone: Is it a cake or a bread? In any case, it’s risen using yeast and it’s sweet, filled with fruits. It has its origins in Italy and has a distinctive dome shape.
• Bara brith: This is a typical Welsh cake (or is it a bread?) risen with yeast. It also commonly contains fruits.
• Savarin: The savarin has its origins in France. It has similarities to a brioche, but it turns out relatively dry, requiring a soak in syrup to soften up again.

A fine line between bread and cake

There’s a fine line between calling some a bread or a cake, especially when those cakes are made with yeast. Brioche and babka are often referred to as breads, but some may call them cakes. Banana and pumpkin bread on the other hand, might actually have more in common with cakes than with bread. Since both are made with similar ingredients, be it in slightly different ratios, it’s hard to distinguish the two.

Here, we’ll call something a cake if it doesn’t require extensive kneading to develop gluten, tends to be on the sweeter side and if you’d generally regard it as being a snack, as opposed to part of a wholesome meal. The definition isn’t perfect, but neither is the world, so it’ll do.

Interestingly, the world of donuts also knows of the difference between yeast and cake donuts! Both styles make slightly different donuts, which one you prefer depends on your preferences.

Yeast and baking powder cakes are not interchangeable

Yeast cakes are fundamentally different than cakes made with baking powder/soda. As such, you can’t simply replace these for one another. The overall formulation of the cake will have to change and most likely, you’ll still end up with a cake with a different overall texture and flavor profile.

Ingredients

• 22-24 cm Bundt/Kugelhopf pan (or different design, same size)
• Butter or oil for coating pan

Filling

• 250g raisins*
• Water

Dough

• 150g butter
• 140g sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 500g all-purpose flour
• 280ml (plant based) milk or water

Instructions

Preparation – 1 hour in advance

• At least one hour in advance, preferably earlier, soak the raisins in enough water to cover all raisins. Do not skip this step. Soaking gives the raisins a chance to rehydrate and greatly reduces the chances of them accidentally burning in the oven.
• Optionally take the eggs and butter from the fridge to warm them up slightly.

Making the cake

1. Coat the cake pan with butter or oil spray, this will help to prevent the cake from sticking.
2. In a mixing bowl, mix the butter and sugar until homogeneous (e.g. using the beater attachment on a stand mixer, or a hand held mixer). Next, add the eggs and mix in completely. Then, add the flour and yeast and mix through until just mixed in.
3. (Optional) Slightly warm up the milk in the microwave or in a pan. You want it to be warm to the touch, no warmer than 30°C (86°F).**
4. Add the milk to the rest of the batter and mix until incorporated homogeneously. There is no need to knead the dough, just mix until it’s all mixed through. The final dough should look like a thick cake batter, but be more liquid than a bread dough.
5. Remove the soaking water from the raisins and gently mix the raisins through the batter with a spatula. Do not mix more than necessary, you do not want to break up the fruits.
6. Cover the cake pan with a cover to prevent the top from drying out. Leave to rest for at least 1 hour. It should increase in size and lift up a couple of centimeters. If it hasn’t risen enough, leave for another hour. The exact proofing time will depend on the temperature of your batter and the room it’s proofing in. It’s generally better to proof a little longer than too short.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (355°F) for 35-45 minutes.

This cake is not exceptionally sweet. It eats well with a little bit of jam or a slight sugar syrup.

Notes

*Instead of raisins, feel free to use other dried fruits. Cranberries work great, but so do mango, prunes, and apricots. If you’re using larger fruits, make sure to cut them into smaller pieces, similar in size to raisins. If you have some soaked Christmas cake fruits left over, those work great as well!

**You can skip this step, but, using warm milk speeds up the leavening process, creating that comfortable environment for your yeast cells.

Sources

Development of baking powder, ACS, link

The Oxford companion to food, Cake, p.129, link; goes back to Roman times to understand how bread & cake have developed over the centuries

Bakery product, Elementary food science, p.299, link; mentions that cakes aren’t made with yeast, but chemically leavened

Yeasted cakes, Classical German baking, p.95, link; on the origin stories of Gugelhopf, this book contains a lot more recipes for yeasted cakes!

Road to pastry, Savarins, link; nice summarizing article on savarins and related products (e.g. baba au rum)

Yeast-risen pound cake, Food52, link

Ruby Tandoh, The hard-won pleasures of a yeasted cake, Aug-7, 2022, link

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Zeppole is an Italian pastry consisting of choux pastry dough filled with custard and garnished with a sprinkle of icing sugar, more custard, and sour cherries soaked in syrup. They are either baked or fried, depending on the region.

Certainly one of the prettiest types of Italian pastries, zeppole are traditionally prepared for Festa di San Giuseppe (the Feast of Saint Joseph) on March 19, which is also Italian fathers’ day.

Struffoli

Struffoli is a type of Italian pastry made from the same simple sweetened dough as chiacchiere. But for stuffoli, the dough is rolled into small marble-sized balls then soaked in honey, cinnamon, and ground orange rind. This creates a sweet treat that’s crunchy on the outside and light on the inside. They are also sometimes referred to as honey balls.

Struffoli are traditional Italian Christmas pastries and are often served on a plate in the shape of a wreath and covered in rainbow sprinkles or dried fruit. They are believed to bring good luck around the holidays.

Danish Kringle Ingredients

Believe it or not, this impressive Danish kringle recipe is easy to make with basic ingredients you likely already have on hand. Here’s what you’ll need:

· Flour: The pastry for this traditional Danish kringle starts with all-purpose flour.
· Butter: Butter helps hold the pastry dough together, lends rich flavor, and adds moisture.
· Sour cream: Make sure to use full-fat sour cream, not a light version.
· Sugar: You’ll need brown sugar for the filling and confectioners’ sugar for the glaze.
· Walnuts: Walnuts add nutty flavor and welcome crunch to the filling. You can leave them out, if you like.
· Water: Water is mixed with confectioners’ sugar to make a 2-ingredient glaze.

Sporcamuss

Sporcamuss are another of the best Italian pastries from the Puglia region. They consist of squares of puff pastry filled with pastry cream and sprinkled with powdered icing sugar. Sporcamuss are very sweet and usually eaten as a dessert rather than for breakfast.

In the local dialect, sporcamuss means ‘dirty mouth’. The unusual name highlights the fact that it’s pretty much impossible to bite into one without getting cream and sugar all over your mouth and face. Don’t forget to grab a napkin!

That’s our guide to the best Italian pastries your must try. Got any questions or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below.

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Maritozzo

A maritozzo is an ancient delicacy from Rome consisting of a sweet brioche bun split down the middle and filled with whipped cream. It may be extremely simple, but it’s one of the most popular Italian breakfast pastries in the Lazio region.

The name maritozzo derives from the word “marito” which is Italian for “husband”. It comes from a unique tradition in 19th-century Rome, in which men would propose on the first Friday of March by presenting their future brides with an engagement ring hidden inside a maritozzo. (Is it wrong we’d probably want the pastry more than the ring?)

Maritozzo are still so popular in Rome today that the city celebrates Maritozzo Day on the first Saturday of December each year.

Panettone

Panettone is Italy’s most traditional Christmas pastry. The sweet cake-like bread has a tall, domed shape, a distinctively light and fluffy texture, and is packed with candied fruit and raisins. It can be enjoyed as a dessert paired with a brut prosecco, or with a coffee or hot chocolate in the morning.

Panettone originated in Milan around the 15th century and was once a luxury dessert only for the rich. Since then, it has spread across the rest of Italy and to other countries around the world to become a popular holiday staple.

The sweet bread also now comes in many different variations, such as with chocolate chips or nuts in place of fruit, or with flavours added to the dough.

Can You Freeze a Danish Kringle?

Yes, you can freeze a kringle (before you ice it). Simply wrap it in at least two layers of storage wrap and at least one layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Add the icing after it is totally thawed.

Chiacchiere

Chiacchiere are another traditional Italian carnival pastry, consisting of strips of sweet dough that puff up slightly when fried and are served dusted with powdered sugar. Chiacchiere – also called “Angel Wings” – are known for their signature rectangular shape with two slits down the middle and crimped edges. They’re delicate, crumbly, and incredibly addictive.

Chiacchiere are one of the most famous Italian pastries enjoyed all across the country during carnival (just before lent). They can go by different names depending on the region you’re in; bugie in Liguria, frappe in Lazio, or cenci in Tuscany.

Cannoli

Every list of Italian pastries has to include the classic cannoli. Arguably Italy’s most famous dessert, cannoli can be eaten at any time of day, even for breakfast.

Cannoli are tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough filled with a sweet, creamy filling that usually contains ricotta – the popular Italian whey cheese. The ends of cannoli are sometimes sprinkled with chocolate, candied fruit, or nuts.

The Italian cream filled pastry originated from the Island of Sicily. They supposedly date back to the 9th century, while Sicily was under Arab rule. You can find cannoli in cafes and restaurants all across the world these days. But the very best are still found in their home country of Italy.

Fun fact – Cannoli is actually the plural. If you’re ordering just one, it’s a cannolo.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“What a good recipe (and so easy) for any time of year,” raves Allrecipes Allstar Jan Mowbray. “Made the dough last night; shaped and baked it this morning. I used cherry pie filling instead of the mixture posted — delicious.”

“I made this recipe for Christmas Eve and dessert on Christmas Day — family and friends took slices home for the next day’s breakfast,” says Grace Hill. “Just fabulous and easy.”

“Super delicious,” according to MSelvidio. “After trying a few fillings, I’ve decided that I like fruit preserves the best. Putting a bit of vanilla extract into the glaze also gives it extra flavor.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Bomboloni

Bomboloni are light and fluffy deep-fried Italian doughnuts. Their name comes from the Italian word “bomba,” meaning “bomb,” to describe their small grenade-like shape.

These delicious Italian doughnuts originate from the Tuscany region. Traditional bomboloni were dusted with icing sugar and enjoyed on the beach and during carnival season.

Today, Bomboloni are made all across Italy with oozy fillings of crema pasticcera (custard creme), jam, or Nutella. They can be eaten as breakfast, a snack or as dessert.

How to Store a Danish Kringle

Store your homemade Danish kringle in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.

Babà al Rum

Much like their popular French counterpart “Baba au Rhum”, Italy’s Babà al Rum is a dry brioche-like sponge soaked in rum and typically shaped like a mushroom. It’s indulgent, sticky, and perfect for a boozy sweet treat any time of day.

Babà was brought to Southern Italy in the nineteenth century by French pastry chefs working in the kitchens of the rich families of Naples. It was such a big hit among the Neapolitans that it has since become a local speciality of the Italian city.

For a more extravagant dessert pastry on special occasions, Babà are cut in half, filled with pastry cream, and decorated with fruit. You can also find Babà soaked in limoncello instead of rum for a truly Neapolitan twist on the pastry.

Babà al Rum recipe.

Sfogliatella

Sfogliatella is a shell-shaped layered pastry, with a sweet custard-like filling made with semolina, ricotta, and candied citrus fruit. You can also find versions with other fillings such as a simple whipped cream, almond paste, or chocolate cream.

There are two main styles of sfogliatella – riccia and frolla. Riccia means “curly” and is the original version made with flaky, layered pastry. This style is best when freshly baked and hot out of the oven to get its famous crunch. Frolla features a less labour-intensive shortcrust pastry shell, so doesn’t have sfogliatella’s signature thin layers. But it’s still delicious and can be eaten hot or cold.

Sfogliatella is most commonly associated with Naples. However, it’s believed that the popular Italian pastry was actually invented by nuns at the Santa Rosa monastery on the Amalfi Coast. The recipe was somehow picked up by a pastry chef from Naples who began selling it to the public in the early 1800s.

In some English-speaking countries, such as the US, sfogliatella are also called lobster tails. Possibly because it’s one of the more difficult Italian pastry names to pronounce.

How to Make a Danish Kringle

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this traditional Danish kringle:

1. Make the pastry: Cut butter into sifted flour. Stir in sour cream, then cover the dough and chill it overnight.
2. Make the filling: Mix softened butter, brown sugar, and some of the walnuts in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Assemble the kringle: Assemble, fill, and braid the kringle according to the detailed instructions in step 3 of the recipe.
4. Bake the kringle: Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Mix the confectioners’ sugar and water, then drizzle the glaze over the cooled kringle.

Pasticciotto

Pasticciotto is a popular filled Italian pastry originating from the Puglia region. They consist of a simple short-crust pastry filled with egg custard and are usually eaten hot out of the oven.

The pastry is most popular in its home city of Lecce and the surrounding Salento province. However, it’s not uncommon to find them being enjoyed in cafes and coffee shops all across Puglia and wider Italy.

Traditional breakfast pasticciotto from Puglia are flavoured with vanilla or lemon custard. But you’ll also find variations such as hazelnut, chocolate, pistachio and almond for a tasty dessert or mid-afternoon snack. In Sicily, you can even find an unusual savoury version called “pasticciotti di carne” which is filled with ground veal and almonds.