Cooking with Love

with Gianna Conte    (Jan)

Aunt Vi's Easter Bread

Aunt Vi’s Easter Bread (Casadilla)

Makes 1-2 cakes

10 cups white all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

½ tsp salt

2 packages yeast (dissolved in tepid water)

12 eggs (scrambled a little)

¾ cup shortening (you may use Crisco)

Vanilla, Lemon & Almond extracts – 1 tsp each

1 Tbs. anisette

Confectioner’s sugar (and water by tablespoon to create thick liquidly frosting texture)

Colored sprinkles

Directions

Mix together dry ingredients – make well in center. Add dissolved yeast. Gradually bring in the dry ingredients and blend – add eggs and shortening, and then extracts and anisette. Combine and mix very, very well. Did you hear me, I said very well. The dough will be very sticky. Prepare your greased pans (I use bundt pan style pans). Cover with warm blanket and allow to rise for approximately 6 – 7 hours. This is very important: when the dough has doubled, you must immediately bake them. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Let bake for 45 – 50 minutes until the cake is golden color. Let cool and remove from pans.

Frost cakes with icing and sprinkles. Let dry completely before covering with saran wrap. Buona Pasqua



Let's get baking!


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees


 1 whole thin skinned orange, remove the stem and cut in quarters. Keep the skin on the oranges.

In a clean large food processor, add the orange quarters, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, three large eggs, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of orange extract, 1 tbsp of Triple Sec liqueur, optional, 2/3 cup vegetable oil. 


Pulse all ingredients in the processor and then puree until mixture becomes a batter with specs of orange peel.


Add to the processor:


2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt


Process all dry ingredients until they are entirely incorporated into the batter.


Bake in a greased and floured spring pan, using a parchment paper circle on top of the greased bottom.*


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place in the center rack of the oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven.


Remove from your oven and let it cool down completely. Dust with powdered sugar or make a drizzle of 1/4 cup powdered sugar and fresh squeezed orange until thick and smooth.  Pour onto the cooled fresh orange cake.


*if you don't have a large processor, you can use a blender.


Enjoy with some espresso and close your eyes and it will feel like you're in Sicily.