Every year, Colomba shows up quietly, almost sneaking up on you.

Not with the same anticipation as Panettone, not with the same familiarity—but once it’s here, it changes the mood of the shop. There’s something about it that feels like a shift. Lighter. Brighter. A little more hopeful.

Colomba is Italy’s traditional Easter cake—made with the same slow, natural fermentation as Panettone, but shaped like a dove and finished with a delicate almond glaze. The texture is what always draws us in first: soft, airy, almost impossibly light.

But what keeps it interesting is how much variation there can be.

Some are citrus-forward and classic. Others lean into chocolate, or apricot, or nothing at all—just butter, eggs, and time, allowed to develop into something quietly remarkable. We find ourselves tasting through them every spring, comparing notes, noticing small differences, and inevitably choosing favorites we didn’t expect.

If you’ve never had Colomba before, this is a very good place to start.

And if you have, you already know—there’s always one that surprises you.