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Pandoro (Traditional Italian Christmas Cake)
This Pandoro recipe gives you that classic Italian Christmas magic right at home—soft, buttery, tall, and beautifully golden. The dough is enriched like a luxurious brioche, but lighter and fluffier thanks to slow fermentation and plenty of eggs. Each rise builds more flavor. Each fold creates more tenderness. And that final shake of vanilla-scented powdered sugar feels like a snowfall over Verona.
The recipe takes time, but it’s not complicated. Most of the work happens while the dough rests overnight or rises in its star-shaped mold. A stand mixer does the heavy lifting, and the long ferment gives the cake its signature lightness. The aroma alone, warm butter, vanilla, and a hint of citrus lets you know Christmas is close.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 1 large Pandoro
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Starter (Biga)
  • ½ cup (60g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (120 ml) warm milk
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 packet (7g) active dry yeast
Main Dough
  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (100g) sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 10 tbsp (140g) softened butter, added gradually
  • Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Finishing
  • 6 tbsp (85g) very soft butter (for kneading into dough)
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar (optional sugar mixed with vanilla extract.)
  • Dust with powdered sugar

Equipment

  • Classic Pandoro mold (8-point star)
  • Stand mixer with dough hook

Instructions
 

Starter (Biga)
  1. In a bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and yeast. Let it rest until foamy, about 10 minutes.
    Mix in the flour.
    Cover and let rise for 1 hour, or until puffy and doubled.
Dough
  1. Add the biga to your mixer bowl.
    Add flour, sugar, eggs, yolks, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt.
    Mix on low until combined, then on medium until smooth.
    Slowly add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
    Keep mixing until the dough is glossy, stretchy, and pulls from the sides (10–15 minutes). The dough should feel slightly tacky but extremely elastic.
First Rise
  1. Transfer dough to a lightly buttered bowl.
    Cover tightly.
    Let it rise overnight in the fridge, or 4–5 hours at room temp until doubled.
Final Butter Fold
  1. Turn chilled dough onto a floured surface.
    Gently knead in the softened butter until fully absorbed.
    Shape into a smooth ball.
Mold Rise
  1. Butter the Pandoro mold generously.
    Place dough inside, seam-side down.
    Cover and let rise until the dough reaches the top of the mold (3–6 hours).
Bake
  1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
    Bake 35–40 minutes.
    If top browns too quickly, tent with foil.
    Cake is done when a thermometer inserted reads 190°F (88°C).
Cool and Finish
  1. Let cake cool in mold for 15 minutes.
    Turn out onto a rack and cool fully.
    Place cake in a bag with powdered sugar and shake to make the signature “snow-dusted” finish.

Notes

Use room-temperature ingredients: Cold eggs and cold butter make the dough tighten up. Let everything warm up naturally so the dough stays soft and elastic.
Soft butter is your best friend: Pandoro dough absorbs butter slowly. When it’s truly soft—not melted, just easily spreadable—it blends in quickly and gives you that silky texture.
Let the dough rise fully: Pandoro dough is enriched, so it rises slower than a regular bread. Go by volume, not minutes. A fully risen dough feels airy when you press it gently.
Warm room: If your kitchen runs cool in December, place the dough in an unheated oven with just the light on. It creates the perfect cozy proofing spot.
Butter the mold generously: Pandoro sticks easily. Coat every corner of the star-shaped mold to ensure a clean release.
Don’t skip the rest before shaping: Even 10 minutes helps the gluten relax, making the dough easier to handle and giving you a smoother final shape.
A baking thermometer avoids dry Pandoro: Pandoro dries out fast if overbaked. Aim for 190°F (88°C) in the center for perfect moisture.
Let it cool completely before dusting: If the cake is warm, the powdered sugar melts and loses that classic “snowy” look.