Corsican Easter cake – Caccavellu
Caccavellu is a Corsican cake traditionally shared at Easter. Shaped like a crown, it is decorated with hard-boiled eggs. Here’s how to make it for a sunny Easter!
Ingredients
- 2 whole Columbus eggs + 1 Columbus egg yolk + 3 Columbus eggs for decoration
- 500 g flour
- 1 sachet baker’s yeast
- 125 g sugar
- 50 g softened butter
- 1 measure pastis (optional)
- 20cl water
- salt
Preparation
- Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the 2 whole eggs, softened butter, pastis and lukewarm water mixed with the yeast. Mix and knead the dough vigorously. Cover the dough with a towel and leave to rest for about 2 hours in a room at room temperature, away from draughts and light.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C.
- Roll the dough into a large sausage. Cut it lengthways and braid the two pieces together, then assemble in the shape of a wreath. Place the wreath on a baking tray and encrust with 3 raw eggs in their shells.
- Brush with egg yolk so that the cake browns when cooked.
- Place in the oven for 40 minutes: the eggs will cook at the same time as the cacavellu.
Columbus tip
If you want coloured eggs to decorate your cake, use food colouring for baking. Place the eggs one by one in a clear glass. Cover with water mixed with a teaspoon of white vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon of food colouring. Keep the egg submerged for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the colour you want to achieve.
