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Cakes

Leftover Panettone Cake

Turn leftovers into a Panettone Cake: crisp outside and filled with pastry cream. A quick recipe for sweet winter afternoons.
Recipe Leftover Panettone Cake
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 15 minutes
  • Cooking 15 minutes
  • Servings for 6 people (20 cm pan)

Have you ever thought about turning leftover panettone into the true star of your holiday dessert? This panettone cake recipe is the perfect solution for anyone who loves to surprise with original desserts, avoiding waste and bringing the unique taste of the holidays to the table. One simple idea is all it takes to make a baked panettone dessert that wins everyone over: imagine the scent of sweet bread filling the kitchen, and a golden, crisp crust wrapped around a creamy, luscious center, perfect to share with the people you love on winter afternoons or to offer to unexpected guests.

This easy panettone cake really comes together in no time. All you need are a few slices of panettone and your favorite cream: pastry cream, chocolate cream or a hazelnut spread. The oven does the rest, giving you a soft cake with a rich, fragrant heart. It is perfect not only for breakfast or an afternoon snack on the coldest days, but also as a surprise for Epiphany or to make the end of a dinner with friends special. It is so simple that a few steps are all you need to discover how to use up leftover panettone and make an indulgent cake that looks like it just came out of a pastry shop.

If you love making the most of holiday leftovers, we also recommend trying Panettone Apple Cake or, for single servings, Panettone Cups with Torrone Cream. And if you want to stay on the “leftovers” theme for holiday desserts, don’t miss Pandoro Tiramisu, Tiramisu with Pandoro and the tasty Pandoro Pinwheels.

Turn on the oven and let yourself be guided: with this cream-filled panettone cake, even a panettone and chocolate dessert can start from a small leftover and become the sweetest surprise of your day.

Ingredients for 6 people (20 cm pan)

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Method

  1. To make the Panettone Cake, start by cutting the panettone into slices about 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick; don’t worry about precision or size, irregular pieces work just fine.
  2. Arrange the slices directly on the bottom of a 20 cm (8-inch) pan (no need to grease it), making a tight layer with no gaps and pressing down well with your hands to compact the base.
  3. Build the sides of the cake by placing pieces of panettone about 2-3 cm (1 inch) tall all around the edge of the pan, forming a shell to hold the filling.
    Leftover Panettone Cake, step 3: pastry cream spread inside the panettone shell
  4. Pour the cream of your choice (classic pastry cream or chocolate pastry cream) into the panettone shell you just made and spread it out.
    Leftover Panettone Cake, step 4: a disk of panettone slices for the lid
  5. On a separate work surface, use your hands to form a disk of panettone slices, joining them and pressing them lightly so they hold together, to make the “lid” of the cake.
  6. Gently lay the panettone disk over the cream, trim any excess with a small knife and seal the side edges well, taking care not to press too hard in the center.
  7. Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F), or a convection oven at 160 °C (320 °F), for about 15-18 minutes on the middle-upper rack, until the top is golden (alternatively, use an air fryer at 180 °C (350 °F) for 10-12 minutes).
  8. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool completely before removing it from the pan; finally, transfer it to a serving plate, dust generously with powdered sugar and serve. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

For an even more indulgent version, add chocolate chips or chopped hazelnuts over the cream before closing the cake.

Tips

You can vary the filling using classic pastry cream, Nutella, pistachio cream or a protein spread. If you don’t have panettone, pandoro is an excellent alternative, or you can be bold and use a mix of both.

Storage

The panettone cake keeps perfectly for 2 days at room temperature. If you prefer, you can freeze it and later thaw it in the fridge, eating it within 24 hours.

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