Buccellato is one of Sicily’s most iconic holiday desserts, traditionally prepared for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
This festive ring-shaped cake is all about contrast: a rich, dense filling made with dried fruits, nuts, honey, wine, and spices, wrapped in a simple shortcrust-style dough whose only job is to hold all that goodness together.
The aroma alone—cinnamon, cloves, citrus zest, and cocoa—will instantly transport you to a Sicilian kitchen during the holidays.
This is not a light cake, but a celebration cake, meant to be sliced slowly and enjoyed with family, just like Nonna used to do.
DOWNLOAD PDF OF BUCCELLATO RECIPE HERE:
⏱️ Cooking Times & Servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Resting Time: 30–60 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: About 2 hours
Servings: 6 slices
🧈 Ingredients
For the Dough
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2½ tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
For the Filling
¾ cup dried figs, chopped
¾ cup raisins
¾ cup almonds, roughly chopped
¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
½ cup apricot jam or preserves (plus extra for glazing)
¼ cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (or dark chocolate, finely chopped)
¾ cup sweet red wine (or semi-sweet)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
Zest of 1 orange
Candied cherries, almonds, and walnut halves (for decoration)
👩🍳 Instructions
Prepare the dough. In a bowl, mix the flour with baking powder and salt.
Warm the milk in a small saucepan with the butter and sugar until melted (do not boil).
Make a well in the flour, pour in the warm liquid mixture, and knead until smooth.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes.
Prepare the filling. Rinse the raisins and figs thoroughly. Toast the walnuts lightly in a pan, then chop them coarsely.
In a saucepan, combine raisins, figs, walnuts, and almonds.
Add cocoa powder (or dark chocolate), apricot jam, orange zest, and sugar.
Stir in cinnamon, cloves, and honey.
Pour in the sweet red wine. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until thick and dense. Let cool completely.
Roll the dough into a long, thin rectangle.
Place a thick strip of filling down the center.
Fold the dough over the filling to form a log, seal the edges, and shape into a ring with the seam facing down.
Make shallow cuts every 1–1½ inches along the surface.
Brush with beaten egg and decorate the top with fork lines.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes.
While still warm, brush with apricot jam and decorate with toasted almonds, walnut halves, and candied cherries.
💡 Tips & Tricks
The filling should be very thick—if it’s too loose, cook it longer.
Buccellato tastes even better the next day, once flavors have melded.
Store wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Serve with espresso, dessert wine, or Marsala.
BUCCELLATO: THE SICILIAN CHRISTMAS CAKE
Notes
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2½ tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg, beaten (for brushing)
For the Filling
- ¾ cup dried figs, chopped
- ¾ cup raisins
- ¾ cup almonds, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup apricot jam or preserves (plus extra for glazing)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (or dark chocolate, finely chopped)
- ¾ cup sweet red wine (or semi-sweet)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- Zest of 1 orange
- Candied cherries, almonds, and walnut halves (for decoration)
👩🍳 Instructions
- Prepare the dough. In a bowl, mix the flour with baking powder and salt.
- Warm the milk in a small saucepan with the butter and sugar until melted (do not boil).
- Make a well in the flour, pour in the warm liquid mixture, and knead until smooth.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes.
- Prepare the filling. Rinse the raisins and figs thoroughly. Toast the walnuts lightly in a pan, then chop them coarsely.
- In a saucepan, combine raisins, figs, walnuts, and almonds.
- Add cocoa powder (or dark chocolate), apricot jam, orange zest, and sugar.
- Stir in cinnamon, cloves, and honey.
- Pour in the sweet red wine. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring often, until thick and dense. Let cool completely.
- Roll the dough into a long, thin rectangle.
- Place a thick strip of filling down the center.
- Fold the dough over the filling to form a log, seal the edges, and shape into a ring with the seam facing down.
- Make shallow cuts every 1–1½ inches along the surface.
- Brush with beaten egg and decorate the top with fork lines.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes.
- While still warm, brush with apricot jam and decorate with toasted almonds, walnut halves, and candied cherries.
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