Chilean pan de pascua — Christmas fruit loaf with candied fruit, walnuts and ginger
Chilean pan de pascua at home in 1 h 40 min: candied fruit, raisins, walnuts, honey and spices. How to stop the fruit sinking and how far ahead to bake it.
What pan de pascua is and where it comes from
Pan de pascua is Chile's Christmas loaf: a dense, moist batter of flour, butter, sugar, honey and eggs, packed with candied fruit, raisins and walnuts soaked in brandy and scented with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. It is leavened with baking powder rather than yeast, so it is not an airy bread like the Italian panettone, to which it is usually related along with the German stollen brought by immigrants. Baked in a 25 cm tin, it gives 12 slices and is eaten on Christmas Eve and over the following days, almost always with cola de mono. It improves after resting wrapped for a day or two, and it is baked 3 to 5 days before Christmas.
Instructions
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Fruit and tin
Macerate the fruit
Combine the candied fruit, raisins and brandy (or orange juice) in a bowl. Cover and let macerate for at least 30 minutes; overnight is better if you can. The fruit hydrates instead of drawing moisture from the batter, and the loaf comes out juicier.
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Prepare the tin and the oven
Heat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F) with the rack in the middle. Grease a 25 x 11 cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper, letting it overhang the sides so you can lift the loaf out whole.
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Batter
Cream the butter, sugar and honey
Beat the soft butter with the sugar and honey for 4-5 minutes, until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each. If the mix looks curdled, add a spoonful of flour and keep beating.
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Add the dry ingredients and milk
Set aside 2 tablespoons of the 300 g of flour for the fruit. Sift the rest with the baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and salt. Fold into the butter mix in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, orange zest and vanilla. Stir only until the flour disappears: overmixing makes the loaf heavy.
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Fold in the fruit and nuts
Drain the macerated fruit (keep the liquid for brushing) and toss it with the walnuts and the 2 reserved tablespoons of flour so it does not sink. Fold it into the batter with a spatula using gentle, folding movements. Pour into the tin, level the top and tap the tin on the counter twice to release large air bubbles.
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Baking and resting
Bake
Bake for 65 to 75 minutes. If the top is already well browned at 40 minutes, cover it with foil. It is done when a long skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean or with dry crumbs (96 °C / 205 °F in the middle if you use a thermometer). Do not open the oven before 45 minutes: the loaf may collapse.
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Cool, brush and rest
Cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. For a shine, warm 3 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of the maceration liquid and brush it over the still-warm loaf. Once cold, wrap in cling film and rest for 1 or 2 days before slicing: the flavour settles and the slices come out clean.
Nutrition information
| Calories | 440 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbs | 59 g |
| Sugars | 38 g |
| Fat | 19 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
Values per serving (1 of 4).
Frequently asked questions
What goes into Chilean pan de pascua?
It contains flour, butter, sugar, honey, eggs and milk, with candied fruit (papaya, pineapple, cherries or orange peel), raisins, walnuts and spices: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. This recipe has no yeast: it rises with baking powder, which is why it is a dense, moist loaf, different from Italian panettone, which is a fermented dough.
Why does the fruit sink to the bottom?
It sinks when the fruit is wet and heavy or when the batter is too runny. Drain it well, toss it with 2 tablespoons of the flour before folding it in and use the thick batter of this recipe, which holds it up. Do not open the oven before 45 minutes: the blast of cold air also makes the centre sink.
Can I make pan de pascua without alcohol?
Yes. Macerate the fruit and raisins in 45 ml of warm orange juice instead of brandy: the loaf is just as juicy, with a more citrus aroma. Alcohol adds flavour and helps preserve the loaf, but it is not essential; without it, keep the loaf in the fridge once cold.
How far ahead can I make it?
You can bake it 3 to 5 days before Christmas: wrapped in cling film and kept somewhere cool, the flavour improves over the first 2 days. If you make it more than a week ahead, freeze it whole or in slices (up to 2 months) and thaw it at room temperature the day before.
How do I know the loaf is cooked through?
Insert a long skewer in the centre: it should come out clean or with dry crumbs, with no wet batter. With a thermometer, the centre should reach 96 °C (205 °F). If the top browns too early, cover it with foil and keep baking; a 25 x 11 cm tin needs between 65 and 75 minutes at 170 °C.
How long does it keep and how do I store it?
Well wrapped, it keeps 5 to 7 days at room temperature in a cool place, and up to 2 weeks in the fridge. It slices best cold with a serrated knife, and you can toast it lightly with a little butter. As loose slices, frozen, it keeps for 2 months and thaws in minutes.
When is pan de pascua eaten in Chile?
On Christmas Eve, after dinner, and over the following days until New Year's, almost always with cola de mono. That is why it is baked 3 to 5 days ahead: well wrapped it keeps 5 to 7 days at room temperature in a cool place, and the flavor improves over the first 2 days.
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