Italian Panettone Christmas cake easy traditional recipe

For the Italian panettone cakes

1. Sift the flour into a bowl and create a well in the middle.

2. Place the yeast in the well and stir in two tbsp sugar and two tbsp milk.

3. Cover and leave to rise for around 20 min.

4. Then add the remaining sugar, milk, lemon zest, butter and eggs to form a smooth dough that comes away easily from the edge of the bowl.

5. Cover and leave to rise for another 30 min.

6. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C in a fan oven), 400°F, gas 6 and line the baking tins with greaseproof paper.

7. Softened the raisins and candied fruit in the rum and then stir into the dough along with the almonds.

8. Shape into 12 balls and place them in the baking tins.

9. Bake for 35 to 40 min until golden brown.

10. Remove from the oven, leave to cool slightly then remove from the tins and leave to cool completely.

11. Cut a lid off each cake and hollow each one out.

For the vanilla cream

1. Place the milk, vanilla seeds and the vanilla pod in a pot and bring to the boil stirring continuously.

2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and fold in the flour.

3. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg mixture in a thin stream and mix well, then return everything to the pot, remove the vanilla pod and on a low heat bring to the boil once again, stirring continuously.

4. Do not allow to keep boiling! Leave to cool stirring every now and then.

5. Whip the cream until stiff and fold into the vanilla cream.

6. Pour into the cakes, place the lids on top and serve dusted with icing sugar.