Perugia, Umbria
Perugia's Easter ring cake — a yeast-leavened ring of dough enriched with eggs, sugar, lard, and Alchermes liqueur (giving it a distinctive pink-red hue inside), covered with a white royal icing meringue and coloured sugar sprinkles. Made only for Easter in Perugia, with the legend that women baked it for their prisoners in the local jail at Easter and the red and white colours represent the arms of Perugia. The soft, brioche-like interior and sweet meringue exterior create a textural celebration.
Spiced, floral, softly sweet with the rose-cinnamon-carmine perfume of Alchermes, encased in pure white sugar meringue — festive, ornate, and uniquely Umbrian
Alchermes liqueur (a medieval Italian liqueur of rose water, cinnamon, and carmine — the red dye from cochineal insects) is non-substitutable — it provides both the colour and the floral-spiced fragrance of the cake. The yeast dough must be properly proofed to develop the open, airy crumb. The white meringue coating is applied when the cake comes hot from the oven to adhere properly, then returned briefly to the oven to set.
Alchermes can be sourced from Italian specialty shops or made at home by infusing vodka with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, rose water, and a small amount of edible carmine dye. The cake keeps well for 5-7 days at room temperature — the sugar content and lard preserve it. Serve with Vin Santo or a sweet Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito for the full Umbrian Easter table.
Using artificial red colouring instead of Alchermes changes the flavour profile entirely. Under-proofing produces a dense, unpleasant result. Applying meringue to a cold cake prevents proper adhesion. Over-baking the meringue darkens it to yellow rather than the traditional pure white.
I Dolci dell'Umbria — Accademia Italiana della Cucina