Are you feeling festive? How about celebrating the unofficial holiday of Christmas in July by making this Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake? All you need is a Pandoro cake, sweet ricotta filling, some red-colored fruit, powdered sugar, and about 15 minutes. The best part is that this easy Italian dessert requires no baking.
Are you missing the warm holiday vibes while sitting smack dab in the center of summer?
If so, you are certainly not alone, as there is a whole unofficial holiday you can opt for to solve those mid-year Christmas cravings – Christmas in July.
That’s right; Christmas in July is an actual thing that people across the nation enjoy celebrating to beat the heat and have some wholesome fun.
And if you plan on jumping in on this holiday-themed action, too, then keep scrolling to discover one of the easiest and best Italian Christmas desserts that will make your celebration more magical.
What is Pandoro?
In Italian, Pan d’oro translates to golden bread. I would describe it as panettone‘s poor relative as there are no golden raisins or candied citron. Although it may look simple, it is a very buttery and flavorful sweet bread. Tradition dictates that it is shaped like a star, which is perfect for making our Christmas tree cake.
Instructions
Let’s get right into it, shall we?
Twenty-four hours before you assemble this dessert, make the ricotta filling with either commercial or homemade ricotta. After an overnight stay in the refrigerator, this whipped cheese thickens nicely, and it becomes easier to pipe on the points of the cake. You will need to double the recipe.
Next, we need a store-bought pandoro cake or a homemade one if you’d like to go that route. For this recipe, I went with a store-bought one.
Carefully lay the pandoro on its side and slice the bread into 5 equal sections.
The largest slice creates the base of our Christmas tree; place it on your working surface with the cut side facing upward.
If desired, brush the cake with rum, excluding the tips. Depending on your generosity, you need about 2-3 tablespoons to brush on the 4 layers of the cake, as the top layer is excluded from this step.
Next, spread a layer of sweet ricotta over the entire base.
Place the next largest slice on top of the base without aligning the points. Once again, brush with the liquor (if using) and layer with sweet ricotta.
Repeat for the rest of the layers. Remember to turn the layers so that the points do not align.
How to decorate
It is now time to finish decorating our newly constructed Christmas tree.
Place the rest of the sweet ricotta in a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe stars on the tips.
As you can see, I opted for pomegranate seeds to embody the winter season in this recipe, but keep in mind that strawberries, raspberries or red currants can work well too.
The final touch is to sift powdered sugar to create garnished snow. Dust just before serving and enjoy!
Making this Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake is one of the most seamless Italian desserts to whip up that will bring that wonderful Christmas euphoria into July.
Why? Because all it takes is a Pandoro cake, layering/stacking it with the whipped sweet ricotta, piping the corners to make it festive looking, and then garnish the top with fresh fruit and sifted powdered sugar.
All in all, making this Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake takes just 15 minutes to complete and is guaranteed to be the ideal Italian Christmas dessert to help transform your wintery July celebration into a statement-making one.
Tips
- Use a sharp serrated bread knife to cut the layers of the pandoro.
- Replace the sweet ricotta with a more decadent-tasting cannoli cream or a pastry cream.
- Brush the cake with simple syrup for a non-alcoholic version. This is just as effective in keeping the cake moist and flavorful.
- Wait a minute or so for the cake to fully absorb the rum or simple syrup (if using) before spreading the ricotta filling.
How to store leftovers
Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and consume within 2 days. Please note that the longer this dessert sits in the refrigerator, the softer the cake’s texture becomes as it absorbs moisture from the ricotta.
Easy Italian desserts using Pandoro
Tiramisu and Zuppa Inglese are two other festive desserts you can make with Pandora cake. Perfect for the holidays or any other celebratory occasion.
Christmas in July fun fact
Do you want to know a fun fact?
The term ‘Christmas in July’ originated because the Southern hemisphere celebrates Christmas in the summer, usually on July 24th or 25th. This is because July just so happens to be their coldest month for them.
Today, people across the nation, and the globe for that matter, are opting in on the Christmas joy in July, and it’s time that you hop on board, too, if you haven’t already! Because if there is one thing for sure, celebrating Christmas mid-year is exciting, cheery, and downright delicious when you add this Pandoro Christmas dessert to the mix.
Recipe inspiration
I was introduced to making a Christmas tree cake from a Pandoro at a Christmas potluck party a few years ago.
I intended to make a pandoro. But it seems that I need to perfect my pandoro-making skills.
Meanwhile, I thought this would be the perfect no-bake dessert to make in the summer.
So, upgrade your July holiday celebration this year with this delectable and perfectly themed treat. And suppose this happens to be your first time joining the July festivities and making Italian Christmas desserts. In that case, this could very well be the beginning of a new wonderful, spirited family tradition.
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this festive and easy Italian dessert, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake
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Ingredients
- 2 Sweet ricotta double the recipe
- 1 Pandoro cake
- 2 tablespoons rum optional
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- powdered sugar
- mint leaves to garnish top of cake
Instructions
- Lay the pandoro on its side and slice the bread into 5 equal sections.
- The largest slice creates the base of our Christmas tree, place it on your working surface with the cut side facing upward.
- If using, brush the cake with rum, excluding the tips.
- Next, spread a layer of the sweet ricotta over the entire base.
- Place the next largest slice on top of the base without aligning the points. Once again, brush with the liquor (if using) and layer with sweet ricotta.
- Repeat this sequence for the rest of the layers.
To garnish:
- To garnish this dessert, use a pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe small rosettes of whipped ricotta over the tips of the pandoro cake.
- Garnish with pomegranate seeds and mint leaves (optional).
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use a sharp serrated bread knife to cut the layers of the pandoro.
- Replace the sweet ricotta with a more decadent tasting cannoli cream or a pastry cream.
- Brush the cake with simple syrup for a non-alcoholic version. This is just as effective in keeping the cake moist and flavorful.
- Wait a minute or so for the cake to fully absorb the rum or simple syrup (if using) before spreading the ricotta filling.
- How to store leftovers: Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and consume within 2 days. Please note that the longer this dessert sits in the refrigerator, the softer the cake's texture becomes as it begins to absorb the moisture from the ricotta.
Nutrition
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val
What a spectacular dessert! Can’t wait to make this for Christmas!
Maria
How wonderful Val! Enjoy!!!