In Italy, the traditional Christmas cake from Milan is called panettone.
Panettone is a tall, domed, yeast-leavened sweet bread filled traditionally with raisins and candied citrus peel. Although its texture resembles bread, Italians serve it as a dessert, particularly during Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Its name is linked to Milanese dialect forms such as panattón, built from pan, meaning “bread,” with an augmentative ending suggesting a large or richly made loaf. The most securely documented early reference is a 1599 expense record from the Borromeo College in Pavia, which lists ingredients for Christmas loaves.
Popular legends attribute its invention to a baker named Tony, but those stories are folklore rather than proven history. Panettone is also commonly confused with pandoro, another Italian Christmas cake. Pandoro comes from Verona and is usually plain, golden, and star-shaped, while panettone is associated with Milan and is traditionally fruit-filled.