Panettone and Pandoro

Panettone, a traditional Christmastime cake, is originally from Milan (il panettone milanese). Typically, the sweet yeast bread, in the shape of a dome, contains candied orange and lemon zest, as well as raisins, which are added dry.

Its counterpart, pandoro, is a specialty of Verona (Il pandoro veronese). The rich, buttery cake takes the form of an 8-pointed star. The name pandoro is derived from the intense gold color of the dessert - pan d'oro means golden bread.