The Curious History — And Survival — Of Easter Cakes
Easter baking has a habit of collecting legends faster than currants. Some are lovely; not all are history. So this version keeps the stories we can support and labels the folklore for what it is.
Simnel cake: an English Lenten tradition
English Heritage describes simnel as a light fruit cake enjoyed in England since medieval times and originally associated with the middle Sunday of Lent, when the fast was relaxed. That day later became closely associated with Mothering Sunday.
The familiar modern cake is fruit-rich and finished with marzipan; many contemporary versions use marzipan both through the centre and on top. The eleven marzipan balls often seen today are commonly explained as representing the apostles excluding Judas, but that decorative explanation should not be confused with a securely documented medieval origin story.
For the historical recipe context, see English Heritage’s Easter recipe card.
Colomba: the modern Italian Easter dove
Colomba di Pasqua is now one of Italy’s best-known Easter cakes, but the modern commercial version is much younger than the legends surrounding it. Italia.it traces the recipe we recognise today to Milan in the 1930s, when Dino Villani of Motta used panettone-style dough and production equipment to create a dove-shaped Easter cake.
Older Lombard stories about dove-shaped breads belong to folklore. They are part of the cultural story, but they are not evidence that the modern colomba recipe has been unchanged since the early Middle Ages. See Italia.it’s history of colomba.
Chocolate eggs did not erase every older bake
Chocolate eggs became increasingly important to Easter during the 19th century. English Heritage notes that chocolate eggs were introduced to Victorian England in 1873 and became widely available in the early 20th century. That helps explain the shift in what now dominates the seasonal shelves, without pretending cakes disappeared.
Today the interesting bit is that Easter supports several traditions at once: chocolate eggs, hot cross buns, simnel, colomba and modern celebration cakes. None needs a made-up ancient lineage to deserve a place at the table.
What we make now
Our current Easter cake collection is a modern celebration range rather than a historical reconstruction: carrot cake, citrus, pistachio, chocolate, floral buttercream and playful spring designs, made to order for London and Surrey delivery.
Tradition is more useful when we know which bits are documented and which bits are just good stories. I am perfectly happy to enjoy both — I just do not want to confuse them.
Love,
Reshmi xoxo
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