Growing up in Croatia, Easter morning always started the same way. My family would carry a basket of food to church for blessing: ham, eggs, horseradish, and right in the center, a fresh pinca still warm from the oven. That bread was the first thing we ate when we got home. It is Easter. As much a part of it as the liturgy itself, and every household has a version they swear is the right one.
Pinca is a sweet enriched dough scented with lemon and orange zest, and my version folds in dried cranberries soaked in fresh orange juice. The crumb is soft and slightly brioche-like. It tears apart easily. I score a cross into the top before baking, which is traditional, and brush the surface with egg wash so it comes out a deep golden brown. It takes patience, about two hours from start to oven, but the actual hands-on work is short.
How to Make Croatian Easter Cake (Pinca)
Prepare the Dough and Let It Rise
Combine 7g (2 tsp) active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and 150ml (5 oz) warm milk. Wait 5 minutes until it foams. 
Sift 500g (5 cups) flour into a large bowl and mix in 100g (1/2 cup) sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the zest of 1 lemon, and the zest of half an orange. Add 100g (7 tbsp) melted butter, 2 eggs, and the yeast mixture. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Drain the cranberries that have been soaking in orange juice for an hour and fold them in. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled.
Shape and Bake
Preheat your oven to 175C (350F). Punch down the dough and shape it into one round loaf or divide it into smaller buns.
Score a cross on top if you like. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let it cool on a wire rack before tearing into it.
How to Make Croatian Easter Cake (Pinca)
Prepare the Dough and Let It Rise
Combine 7g (2 tsp) active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and 150ml (5 oz) warm milk. Wait 5 minutes until it foams.
Sift 500g (5 cups) flour into a large bowl and mix in 100g (1/2 cup) sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, the zest of 1 lemon, and the zest of half an orange. Add 100g (7 tbsp) melted butter, 2 eggs, and the yeast mixture. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Drain the cranberries that have been soaking in orange juice for an hour and fold them in. Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled.
Shape and Bake
Preheat your oven to 175C (350F). Punch down the dough and shape it into one round loaf or divide it into smaller buns.
Score a cross on top if you like. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let it cool on a wire rack before tearing into it.
Easter in Croatia and traditional Easter cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
- Yield: 1 large loaf or several buns 1x
Description
This traditional Croatian Easter cake, known as pinca, is a sweet, citrus-infused bread enriched with cranberries, perfect for celebrating the holiday.
Ingredients
- 5 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 7 tbsp (100 g) butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 5 oz (150 ml) warm milk
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 egg, for egg wash
Instructions
- Combine the active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 150 ml of warm milk. Let it rise for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dried cranberries with the juice of 1 orange and let them soak for 1 hour.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour and add the granulated sugar, salt, and lemon and orange zests. Mix well.
- Add the melted butter, eggs, and the yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
- Drain the cranberries and fold them into the dough until evenly distributed.
- Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down and shape it into a round loaf or divide it into smaller portions for buns.
- Place the shaped dough onto the prepared baking sheet. If desired, cut a cross on the top of the loaf as a symbol of Christianity.
- Beat 1 egg and brush it over the top of the dough for a shiny finish.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
For a more decorative look, you can braid the dough instead of shaping it into a loaf. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can substitute dried cranberries with raisins if preferred. Ensure the dough rises in a warm, draft-free area for the best results.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pinca and how is it different from other Easter breads?
Pinca is a Croatian sweet bread served specifically at Easter, similar to Italian colomba or Greek tsoureki but with its own character. It leans heavily on citrus zest and has a tighter, more cake-like crumb than most enriched holiday breads.
Can I use raisins instead of cranberries in this pinca recipe?
Raisins are actually more traditional. Cranberries are my preference because I like the slight tartness against the sweet dough, but golden raisins soaked in orange juice work just as well.
How should I store Croatian Easter cake?
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, slice and toast it; it crisps up nicely with a bit of butter. You can also freeze the whole loaf, wrapped tightly, for up to a month.
My husband’s family is Croatian, they make a egg sausage like roll every year for Easter. They call it “Nadif”. They say it is from Croatia, but I can’t seem to find anything about it anywhere, to confirm that it is a recipe from Croatia. I was wondering if you knew anything about it. My recipe has about 15 eggs, white cubed bread, evaporated milk, green onion, and optional diced ham and bacon. You are supposed to put in casing and boil it. It comes out like a large sausage roll, and you slice it and serve it. Have you ever heard of this, and is it really a recipe from Croatia? My mother-in-law’s family was from Slovania, so it’s possible it could have come from there. Thanks so much for any help!
Terri
Where do you get the skins from?? I have a couple of paper ones my parents had. This is the recipe my parents used.
But I don’t have the amounts of each. My mother never measured
This recipe is no good. The dough never came together and looked more like scone dough than a yeasted bread. It would not rise, and I know my yeast works just fine, so I threw it out and moved on to plan b for my Easter dessert. I’m just glad I had a plan b!
I must be something wrong! My “dough” is hard and crumbly….nothing near “soft.” Any ideas what may be happening?
Hvala! I am a Croatian-American and love to try Croatian recipes that are in English and have American measurements. I look forward to making this bread at Easter.
Merry Christmas from Boston Massachusetts!
Eve-Marie (Iva-Marija Niži? )
My husband and I have made special plans to be in Dubrovnik for Easter and are looking forward to seeing the beautiful eggs! Thank you for this interesting insight into Croatian customs.
c
Thank you very for this wonderful Easter cake! Sretan Uskrs !
Iza, so glad to hear that! hope you like it :)
Tamara, I’m going to bake your easter cake and taste Croatian traditional cake in Poland :)
Hi tamara! the cake looks delicious. I want to try to make it, just have few question, can i put fresh yeast instead of dry?and can i put rum also just to make it more tasty?thanks for this recipe, i never bake yet a cake with cranberry so i really like to make this, i know that its delicious!
I am so excited to try this! I visited my husband’s home village this past summer and have been trying many Croatian dishes since then.
thank you for your kind words, glad you like it!
You are the best. My family is from Krk and it is difficult to get precise recipes-particularly in cups and teaspoons. This looks just like what we call pogaca. I am so excited to try this. Hvala!!
Really festive! This cake looks delicious and perfect for a celebration. Great recipe.
Thank you!
Hi Tamara, I hope you had a lovely Easter. It is very nice reading about Croation Easter traditions. I always thought the egg hunt was an American thing, guess not. Your pinca looks delicious!
Thank you Nancy :)
I loved hearing about your Easter traditions. And this Easter cake with orange, lemon and cranberries sounds wonderful!
I am glad you enjoyed reading it, thank you