Traditional Easter cookies with a fine almond note and a moist center for Easter brunch
When you’re looking for the ideal pastry to accompany a festive feast, the question of which wine to pair with the food is often the key to a well-rounded taste experience. With this Easter cake with almonds and marzipan, it’s all about being able to combine wine and dishes that pick up on both the yeasty aroma and the intense sweetness of the marzipan. A suitable wine pairing must stand up to the dense texture of the dough and at the same time emphasize the nutty nuances of the sliced almonds. The Easter cake is characterized by its juicy crumb and the delicate scent of vanilla and lemon, which calls for a wine with good viscosity and ripe fruit notes. As marzipan is a very dominant component, the companion in the glass should have enough strength not to disappear behind the sweetness. A well-chosen wine will emphasize the buttery notes of the yeast dough and ensure that the pastry does not appear too dry on the palate, but instead blossoms into an elegant finish that perfectly matches the spring-like atmosphere of Easter.
Ideal wine accompaniment: Vin Santo del Chianti DOC (Tuscany, Italy)
This amber-colored specialty made from dried grapes impresses with an enormous aromatic density and an oily viscosity that coats the palate flatteringly. Intense notes of dried apricots, dates and roasted nuts unfold on the palate, building a perfect bridge to the almonds and marzipan in the Easter cake. The long maturation in small wooden barrels develops fine notes of caramel and honey, which ideally complement the buttery character of the yeast dough. The concentration of the extract is high enough to absorb the sweetness of the marzipan core without the combination appearing sticky. A fine, integrated acidity in the background ensures that the mouth is invigorated after every bite, while the slightly oxidative nuances emphasize the nutty crust of the pastry. The ethereal accents, reminiscent of orange peel, also harmonize perfectly with the subtle citrus zest in the pastry, creating a harmonious overall picture for a festive afternoon treat.
Further wine recommendations for this dish
Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC (Languedoc-Roussillon, France)
This French specialty has a wonderful youthful freshness that particularly emphasizes the floral and fruity aspects of the cookie. With its intense aromas of fresh grapes, citrus blossom and peach, it offers a lively contrast to the heaviness of the marzipan. As it is a fortified sweet wine, it has enough body and alcohol structure to carry the texture of the Easter cake. The subtle honey sweetness embraces the almonds, while the tangy fruitiness keeps the pairing light and spring-like. This is an excellent choice if you are looking for an accompaniment that focuses less on ripeness and more on primary fruity elegance, which rounds off the Easter brunch in a particularly refreshing way and underpins the yeasty notes charmingly.
Beerenauslese Wagram (Lower Austria, Austria)
This concentrated speciality from the loess soil is characterized by a brilliant balance between residual sweetness and a delicate acidity structure. Notes of fully ripe apricots and exotic fruits such as mango dominate the bouquet and combine harmoniously with the sweetness of Easter pastries. Due to the cool characteristics of the region, the wine always remains elegant and dancing on the tongue despite its density. The fine minerality sets an exciting accent to the butteriness of the flatbread and prevents the combination from being too powerful. The result is a very precise taste, in which the fruit sweetness gently caresses the marzipan filling and ensures a long-lasting, clear finish that additionally emphasizes the fine vanilla notes in the dough.
Recioto di Soave DOCG (Veneto, Italy)
Made from the Garganega grape, this wine has a fascinating aroma of white flowers, candied fruit and almonds. It is precisely this almond note that makes it a predestined partner for an Easter cake with marzipan. The texture is velvety and soft, which wonderfully emphasizes the juicy crumb of the yeast dough. The subtle bitter almond note on the finish absorbs the sweetness of the pastry and ensures a mature complexity on the palate. The fine minerality, which is typical of the volcanic soils of Soave, gives the combination a backbone that harmonizes wonderfully with the nutty crust and makes the enjoyment very complex without overpowering the lemon in the pastry.
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC (Sicily, Italy)
This rare drop from the Aeolian Islands brings the sun of the south into the glass and captivates with aromas of Mediterranean herbs, dried figs and rosemary. These spicy undertones give the Easter cake a completely new direction and add a tart component to the sweetness of the marzipan. The salty notes, which arise from the proximity of the vineyards to the sea, form an ingenious counterpart to the sugar of the pastry and stimulate the appetite. The golden yellow color and viscous structure ensure that the combination also stands up to a heavy yeast dough. It is a pairing full of character that combines the classic taste of marzipan with a pinch of Mediterranean wildness and emphasizes the raisins in the dough.
Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos (Tokaj, Hungary)
This legendary wine offers one of the highest concentrations of acidity in the world of sweet wines, making it a perfect accompaniment to rich pastries. The aromas of quince jam, honey and orange peel harmonize fantastically with the marzipan and lemon in the flatbread. The vibrant acidity literally cuts through the density of the pastry and cleanses the palate after every bite, making the combination incredibly entertaining and animating. The complexity, which often also contains earthy notes, gives the simple Easter pastry an almost aristocratic depth. Anyone looking for an intense interplay between extreme sweetness and lively freshness will find it here, as the structure of the wine perfectly mirrors the juiciness of the marzipan.
You can find more inspiration for the perfect wine to accompany your festive Easter brunch in our big magazine special.
The recipe:
Easter cake with almonds and marzipan
Cooking utensils
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Food processor or hand mixer
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Baking paper
- 1 Small saucepan
Ingredients
- 250 g Flour Type 405
- 1/2 Cube of fresh yeast
- 125 ml Milk lukewarm
- 50 g Butter soft
- 40 g Sugar
- 1 Pinch of salt
- Zest of half an organic lemon
- 100 g Marzipan paste
- 50 g sliced almonds
- 1 Egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp cream
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Preparation
PREPARATION:
- Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center.
- Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and pour into the hollow.
- Dust with a little flour from the edge and leave to rise, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees top/bottom heat.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
COOKING STEPS:
- Add the sugar, butter, salt and lemon zest to the pre-dough.
- Knead everything into a smooth yeast dough until it comes away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the dough and leave to rise in a warm place for approx. 45-60 minutes.
- Knead the dough briefly on a floured surface and press it flat.
- Pluck the marzipan paste into small pieces and place in the middle of the dough.
- Seal the dough over the marzipan and shape into a round flatbread.
- Place the flatbread on the baking tray and leave to rise for another 15 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolk with the cream and brush the flatbread with it.
- Press the sliced almonds evenly onto the surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approx. 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
DIRECTIONS:
- Remove the Easter cake from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar before serving.
- Cut into pieces and ideally serve while still slightly lukewarm.
SUPPLEMENTS:
- Salted butter
- Apricot jam
- A dollop of freshly whipped cream
