Torte di Pasqua, translates to Easter cake, but it is also includes Easter pies, both savory and sweet. These traditional Italian delicacies signify the end of the Lenten fasting period and mark the renewal and rebirth of Easter. The variations of Torte di Pasqua differ greatly throughout the country, but you will find that Colombo Pasquale, or the Easter Dove, is the unofficial Easter dessert found throughout Italy.

There are numerous legends as to the origin of the cake. The most popular one dates to 1176 when two doves, representing the Holy Spirit, miraculously appeared above a battlefield, spurring the Lombards to victory over the despised Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. Colombo Pasquale is prepared like panettone, allowing the batter to rise over many hours.