Holiday Panettone Layer Cake – panettone dressed up into a showstopper with layers of pineapple and rum whipped cream!
If you are in the mood to serve something different this year, try this Panettone Cream Layer Cake. It’s a delicious twist on the Italian classic that will add lots of color to your dessert tray. It might look intimidating, but is incredibly easy for anyone to make when you start with a store-bought Panettone.
If you have been inside any retail store this season, okay..maybe not the pet store….you have seen those pretty red boxes filled with fruit-studded Italian breads called Panettone. I’ve had one of those lovely red boxes sitting on the counter for the last month, calling out for attention. So I turned that bread into an easy layer cake. The results are delicious!
HOW TO MAKE HOLIDAY PANETTONE LAYER CAKE
What started out as a way to add moist flavor to our Panettone, this cake has become a seasonal family favorite. Even my picky eaters could not resist pineapple flecked, rum flavored whipped cream between layers of sweet bread!
PREPARE THE CAKE AND WHIP THE CREAM
- Start by removing all the paper wrapping from sides and bottom of a store bought Panettone. Then, cut the cake into layers by laying the cake on its side and cuttting it into 5 (1-inch) thick rounds with a bread knife. Be sure to keep the layers in order, so you can re-stack the cake easily. The final cut should be where the dome of the cake meets the side. This will be your top layer. Set the layers aside.
- The next step is make the whipped cream. I like to use a hand-mixer for this step, but you can also use a stand mixer if you have one, fitted with the whip attachment. So add the heavy cream to a medium-size bowl and whip the cream until soft peaks form. Stir in the powdered sugar and rum. Continue to beat with the mixer until you see firm peaks. Last step for the cream is to fold the crushed pineapple into the whipped cream until well distributed. Set the bowl aside. Note – You can substitute non-dairy whipped topping for the cream to make it vegan.
ASSEMBLE THE HOLIDAY PANETTONE LAYER CAKE
- Build the cake starting with the original bottom layer.
- Place the layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Use a spatula to spread about 1/5 of the whipped cream mixture over the entire layer. Place next cake layer on top of whipped cream and repeat until all the layers have been used. The top layer should be the cake dome.
- Decorate the top of the cake with cherries and pineapple set into the whipped cream.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead.
Keep the layers stacked in the same order you cut them to make re-assembly easy. Cut off the cake dome as the last layer. The next time I will cut a thin slice off the dome to give the decorations a flat surface to sit on.
Cut the cake with a sharp knife. As you cut, the layers will naturally compress.
WHAT IS A PANETTONE
Panettone was invented in Milan. The word “panettone” derives from the Italian word “panetto”, a small loaf cake. The Italian suffix “one” changes the meaning to “large cake”. Panettone is thought to have ancient origins, dating back to the Roman Empire, where a type of leavened bread was sweetened with honey. It is now a multi-billion dollar industry and is eaten worldwide at Christmas and New Years.
DOES PANETTONE EXPIRE
Unopened, store-bought Panettone has a shelf-life of about 5 months. It freezes well too! Buy when they go on sale, then freeze to have all year long. They take up a lot of freezer space, so I cut the Panettone into slices and re-package in plastic freezer bags. Thaw in the refrigerator before using.
Easy Holiday Panettone Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 26 ounce Panettone
- 20 ounce crushed pineapple well drained
- 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp dark rum or 1 tsp vanilla for non-alcoholic
- candied cherries and pineapple for garnish
Instructions
- Remove paper from sides and bottom of Panettone. Lay cake on its side and cut into 5 (1-inch) thick rounds with a bread knife. Keep the layers in order. The final layer will be the cake dome. Set aside.
- Add the heavy cream to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Stir in the powdered sugar and rum. Continue to beat with the mixer until firm peaks form. Fold the crushed pineapple into the whipped cream until well distributed. Set aside.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Build the cake starting with the original bottom layer. Place the layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Use a spatula to spread about 1/5 of the whipped cream mixture over the entire layer. Place next cake layer on top of whipped cream and repeat until all the layers have been used. The top layer should be the cake dome.
- Decorate the top of the cake with cherries and pineapple set into the whipped cream.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 1 day ahead.
Chef Tips
Nutrition Facts
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