A culinary symbol of Easter in Italy, the “Colomba” is a traditional dove-shaped cake featuring a rich, soft dough flavored with orange peel and vanilla beans. It is sweet, but not too sweet. Soft and fluffy, it be filled with hazelnut cream or pistachio cream. The dough for the colomba is made in a similar manner to panettone, with flour, eggs, sugar, yeast and butter. In this gluten-free version I used only naturally gluten-free flours, without thickeners such as xhantan gum. I normally use soy milk and soy yogurt, but dairy butter. You can choose to either use all dairy products, or all plant based ones.
The delicious detail is this hazelnut glaze and whole almonds on top, that creates a crunchy element to the otherwise soft treat, with a natural nutty taste. This rich loaf is comforting and delicate and goes so well with a steaming cup of tea.
And if you are looking for other delicious, easy to make gluten-free cakes? Check out THIS RECIPE for a vegan yogurt banana bread, amazingly moist and easy to make. Or if you have some more time, treat yourself with these summer fruits pastry mini tarts.
Moreover, if you want to stay updated on my latest recipes, make sure to follow my Pinterest page where I publish all the news!