What Italian Easter cake is shaped like a dove and traditionally topped with almonds and sugar?

The Italian Easter cake shaped like a dove and traditionally topped with almonds and sugar is colomba pasquale.

Colomba pasquale means “Easter dove” in Italian. Its distinctive dove-shaped mold represents peace, and the cake is commonly made with flour, eggs, butter, sugar, and candied orange peel. A crunchy coating of sugar and almonds is typically baked on top.

The cake is closely related to panettone, the famous Milanese Christmas sweet. Both are enriched, yeast-leavened cakes that require a long rising process, but colomba pasquale is associated specifically with Easter and usually contains candied citrus rather than panettone’s customary raisins.

The modern commercial version is generally credited to Angelo Motta’s company in Milan during the 1930s. Colomba pasquale is now sold throughout Italy during Lent and Easter, although regional bakeries may produce different shapes and flavors.