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Close up of pigna italian easter cake on a red plaate.

Grandma's Pigna (Italian Easter Cake)

Here is my grandmother's no-rise recipe for Pigna de Pasqua (Italian Easter Cake). This cake was an annual tradition in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 Slices
Calories 742 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

For the Cake

  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour Sifted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 large eggs Beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
  • 1 cup butter Melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoon milk Substitute water if you have no milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Optional -- lemon extracts works too
  • 3 tablespoon colored sprinkles Optional

Instructions
 

For the Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  • Either by hand or in your mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter.
  • Add the beaten eggs, anise and vanilla to the butter and sugar.
  • In a separate bowl, combine the salt, baking powder and four cups of flour.
  • Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg and butter mixture.
  • Add the last 1/2 cup of flour until you get a thick batter, not quite the consistency of a soft bread dough.
  • Pour the batter into spring form cake pan, bundt cake pan or loaf pan. It will take a little longer for the loaf to cook.
  • Bake for about 40-45 minutes, until the cake passes the toothpick test.

For the Glaze

  • When the cake comes out of the oven and is cooling, combine the powdered sugar, water or milk and mix until smooth. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla, orange extract or lemon extract if desired.
  • Add sprinkles if using.
  • With a small ladle or large spoon, drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Notes

  • I love half teaspoon of vanilla for flavoring the sugar glaze. That's my preference.
  • If you like other flavors, you can substitute or add a similar amount of lemon or almond extract to the glaze.
  • A shot of Anisette or Sambuca will enhance the anise flavor. If you add more liquid, be certain, though, to add a bit more flour to keep the batter's consistency. You definitely don't want a runny Pigna batter.
  • Sample your glaze before you put it on the cake. Too much powdered sugar will make it taste chalky. Add a bit more milk or water to get the perfect consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 742kcalCarbohydrates: 113gProtein: 12gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 184mgSodium: 590mgPotassium: 144mgFiber: 2gSugar: 58gVitamin A: 895IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 163mgIron: 4mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values, if included with the recipe, are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability/substitution and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!