Homemade Easter ring cake: four fluffy units with pastry cream
The Easter ring cake combines a tender, aromatic dough with ribbons of pastry cream that decorate its surface. Vanilla and citrus zest provide that characteristic fragrance that pairs so well with mate, coffee, or a family afternoon snack.
This recipe makes 4 loaves and requires two rises. Respecting these rest periods and working the dough until smooth helps achieve a soft crumb. It’s also best to prepare the cream in advance so it’s completely cold when used.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 kg of 0000 flour.
- 50 g of fresh lettuce or 10 g of dry lettuce.
- Approximately 300 ml of milk.
- 180 g of sugar.
- 150 g of lard —butter— or oil.
- 4 eggs.
- Vanilla essence.
- Zest of 1 lemon or orange.
For the pastry cream
- 500 ml of milk.
- 120 g of sugar.
- 3 yolks or 2 eggs.
- 40 g of corn starch.
- Vanilla essence.
To conclude
- Beaten egg for brushing, in addition to the eggs in the dough.
- Optional: syrup, cherries, melted chocolate or chocolate eggs.
The recipe doesn’t specify quantities for the egg wash or the decorations. For the cornstarch, use the indicated 40g , as the equivalent in tablespoons may vary.
Step-by-step preparation
1. Prepare the ferment
Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of flour, taken from the quantities of the dough.
Mix and let stand for 10 minutes , until foam appears. The milk should be lukewarm, not hot.
2. Shape and knead
Place the remaining flour and sugar in a large bowl. Add the zest, the four eggs, the vanilla, the softened butter or oil, and the yeast.
Mix and knead for approximately 10 minutes , until you obtain a smooth, soft, and elastic dough. If using butter, it should be creamy, not melted.
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