Baking cakes and various other types of confectionery have been made far easier than it once was since the arrival of additives like vanilla extract, baking powder, vanilla powder, and pre-blended cake mixes.
When it comes to baking muffins, sponge cakes, and light, fluffy Italian cakes, several ingredients grant the definitive, traditional flavor you’re looking for.
One of those vital Italian ingredients is Lievita Pane Degli Angeli – an amazing Italian product that blends artificial vanilla and baking powder into a functional, popular premix.
Ever since Paneangeli landed on global markets, people have flocked to this once regional-only staple. The demand can, however, make the beloved baking ingredient tricky to find.
In this post, we’ll be walking you through all the best Lievito Pane Degli Angeli substitutes available.
What Exactly Is Lievito Pane Degli Angeli?
The phrase carried on the package name “Lievito Pane Degli Angeli” literally translates to “the bread yeast of angels”. It is a leavening agent containing vanilla that’s specially formulated for cakes and sweets.
Paneangeli Lievito Pane Degli Angeli causes baked goods to rise and become fluffy while imparting a sweet, vanilla flavor.
Paneangeli baking powder for cakes has been widely used in Italian kitchens for over six decades. While also a key ingredient in many pastries and cakes, Lievito Pane Degli Angeli is perhaps most popular in Italian muffins.
A single pack contains ten sachets of Lievito Pane Degli Angeli, suitable for ten recipes or more if you use less than one sachet at a time.
How Much Lievito Pane Degli Angeli To Use
Every 1/2 oz (16g) sachet contains enough leavening agent to grant flavor and help the rising of 500 grams (1.1 pounds) of flour.
Lievito Pane Degli Angeli Recipe Suggestions
Crostatas – Italian baked pies filled with fruits, jam, or ricotta
Ciambellone – Italian Bundt cake
Torta Di Mele – Traditional Italian double-crusted apple pie
Torta Ubriaca – Italian chocolate and red wine cake
Torta Caprese – Flourless chocolate cake
Biscotti – Italian almond biscuits also known as Catucci
Jamie Oliver’s Torte With Lievito Pane Degli Angeli – A Must Try Recipe
Renowned chef, Jamie Oliver, has a fantastic Chocolate clementine torte that comes out even better when you add Lievito Pane Degli Angeli.
We’ve fused one of the featured recipes from Paneangeli with Jamie’s torte. Follow these simple steps to bake a dark indulgent Italian chocolate dessert that may just become your new favorite.
Ingredients:
- 6 Ounces Dark Chocolate
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 8 Ounces Butter
- 5 Large Eggs
- 12 Ounces Castor Sugar
- 2 Teaspoons Lievito Pane Degli Angeli (or any of our substitutes)
- 7 Ounces Clementine Juice (use Mandarin or Tangerine juice alternatively)
- 1 Ounce (30 Grams/7 Teaspoons) Flour
- 5 Ounces Desiccated Coconut
- 2 Ounces Ground Almonds
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 250°F
- Melt your chocolate and the butter together with a pinch of salt in a double boiler – once smooth, set aside
- Separate the whites from your eggs and keep them aside
- Add your egg yellow, three-quarters of your sugar, the coconut, flour, and ground almonds to a mixing bowl
- Whisk using a mixer until the mixture triples in size
- Whip your egg whites with the remaining quarter portion of sugar until it is fluffy
- Add the fluffy egg whites and the chocolate to your earlier blend and whisk well
- Lastly, add the Lievito Pane Degli Angeli and whisk for a final time
- Pour your batter into a greased circular bundt pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
You may need to extend the cooking time slightly. If you notice your cake darkening too early, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil and return to the oven for the rest of the duration.
Create a syrup by reducing the clementine juice in a saucepan over low heat for roughly 20 minutes or until it reaches the right consistency.
Once cooked, remove your torta from the oven and drizzle over the clementine syrup, allowing it to stand for ten minutes before slicing and serving.
The Best Lievito Pane Degli Angeli Substitute
Lievito Pane Degli Angeli may be the number one ingredient for Italian confectionery, but the low availability in certain local markets can make it hard to find.
If your recipe calls for this Italian vanilla-infused baking yeast, give any of these Lievito Pane Degli Angeli substitutes a try.
1. Baking Powder With A Hint Of Vanilla Powder – Perfect Substitute
Lievito Pane Degli Angeli has a hint of vanilla with a dominant prevailing flavor of baking powder.
If you’re looking to give your homemade Italian muffins the same signature flavor, then add a pinch of vanilla powder and a measure baking powder relative to your recipe.
If you’re swapping out a sachet for baking powder, add two teaspoons. Just don’t add too much vanilla, and you’ll have a subtle flavor that’s about the best substitute for this Italian baking staple.
2. Baking Powder – Most Convenient Substitute
Baking powder is the most convenient Lievito Pane Degli Angeli substitute. Both fulfill the same purpose, with baking powder being a key ingredient in the popular gourmet baking yeast.
Substitute baking powder for Lievit Pane Degli Angeli at two teaspoons per sachet, and your Italian baked goods or dessert will be good to go.
3. Pure Vanilla Extract With Baking Powder – Another Good Alternative
A dash of pure vanilla extract and the appropriate amount of baking powder relative to your recipe are all that’s needed to imitate Lievito Pane Degli Angeli.
The quality of your vanilla extract will make all the difference, as will the quantity that you use.
Most good extracts are strong so use sparingly. You’ll typically need two teaspoons of baking powder and a single teaspoon of vanilla extract, no more.
4. Baking Powder, Baking Soda, And Vanilla
Certain seasoned Italian chefs swear by a blend of one teaspoon of baking soda to two teaspoons of baking powder as a Lievito Pane Degli Angeli substitute.
Add either a little vanilla powder or vanilla extract to your mix, and you’ve got an effect and flavor that’s a close match to the original.
Which Vanilla To Use When Creating A Lievito Pane Degli Angeli Alternative?
Italian purists avoid Lievito Pane Degli Angeli when recipes call for vanilla baking powder and use vanilla and baking powder separately instead.
In this case, only vanilla scraped from true vanilla pods is used. Extracts and flavorings relying on vanillin are avoided.
Conclusion
The defining difference between Lievito Pane Degli Angeli and the multitude of substitutes and alternative brands out there is the quality.
You can’t beat the superior manufacturing behind this product, but our alternatives each come close relative to the quality of the brand you opt to use.