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Sweet Leavened Breads

Apple Panettone Cake

Apple panettone cake: soft and tall, full of raisins, candied fruit and orange zest. Ready in just 20 minutes of prep for Christmas.
Recipe Apple Panettone Cake
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 25 minutes
  • Cooking 50 minutes
  • Servings for 12 people, one 20 cm (8 inch) round pan

Have you ever thought of turning the scent of Christmas into a soft, tempting cake, perfect for warming up holiday breakfasts? This apple panettone cake recipe is for you: a lovely cross between the sweetness of apples and the richness of raisins, candied fruit and citrus zest that only panettone can offer. Whether you have leftover panettone to use up or simply want to try an easy apple and panettone dessert, this recipe is the way to bring a tall, moist, fragrant cake to the table, ready in a few minutes and able to win over even the most demanding palates.

Making this soft apple and panettone cake is a real pleasure: it takes just 20 minutes to mix simple, wholesome ingredients and let the oven do the rest. The apples, sweet and juicy, enrich the batter and keep it soft for longer, giving it a tender texture that stays perfect even after a few days. The magic comes from combining this much-loved fruit with the unique flavor of panettone, in a pairing that brings out the best in both without being heavy.

Not only will you creatively rescue holiday leftovers, but you can also enjoy a panettone breakfast cake that’s also ideal as a dessert to share with friends and family, perhaps on slow winter mornings or at the end of a meal. If you’re looking for ways to use up panettone, this recipe for leftover panettone with apples will satisfy every sweet craving, with no fuss.

To vary your breakfasts and snacks, we suggest you also try the Vegan Apple and Pastry Cream Tart, the Apple Cake Without Baking Powder or the original Apple Galette. Choose your favorite and enjoy the aroma and simplicity of a moist apple panettone cake, the tastiest quick apple and panettone dessert of the winter.

Ingredients for 12 people, one 20 cm (8 inch) round pan

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Method

  1. To make the apple panettone cake, start by cracking the eggs into a bowl and adding the grated zest of the lemon and orange, the honey, the vanilla extract and the sugar. Beat everything with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes, until the eggs are pale and foamy.
  2. Add the all-purpose flour with the sifted baking powder and the salt, mixing well with the electric mixer. Then pour in the melted butter and mix, and finally add the milk, still beating with the mixer, to get a smooth, lump-free batter.
  3. Now add the finely chopped candied fruit and the raisins, soaked beforehand in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained well. Add the apples cut into rough chunks and gently fold the whole batter together.
    Folding candied fruit, raisins and apple chunks into the batter
  4. Pour the batter into a 20 cm (8 inch) round pan, greased and floured beforehand, securing a band of parchment paper around the sides so the cake doesn’t overflow while baking.
  5. Decorate the top of the cake with a few slices of apple and bake in a conventional oven at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 45-50 minutes.
    Cake topped with apple slices, ready for the oven
  6. Before taking the apple panettone cake out of the oven, test it by inserting a toothpick into the center to check that it’s fully baked: the toothpick should come out dry or with just a few crumbs attached. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

You can replace the raisins with other dried fruit, such as dried cranberries or chopped apricots, for a more modern version. If you want a richer cake, add 100 g of finely chopped panettone to the batter along with the candied fruit, so the cake takes on even more Christmas flavor. For a lactose-free version, you can use plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk and vegan butter instead of regular butter.

Tips

For the best result, use good-quality apples, preferably varieties that hold their shape when baked, such as Reinette or Golden Delicious. Grate the lemon and orange zest directly over the eggs to get the most out of their aromas. If the apples are small or not very juicy, you can add 1-2 more without significantly changing the result. Make sure the raisins are squeezed out well after soaking so the batter doesn’t become too wet.

Storage

Apple panettone cake keeps for three or four days in a well-sealed food bag or under a cake dome. It’s best stored at room temperature in a cool place, away from heat and moisture.

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