Fluffy little clouds filled with a delicious milk cream: the unmistakable snowflakes by Poppella, an all-Neapolitan guarantee. Who has never heard of it?

The fame of these small brioche precedes them internationally, in no time they have conquered the palate of anyone who tastes them.

The origins of the dessert

The first time this delicacy was baked is not so far from us, dating back to 2015, when Cyrus Poppella, heir to a bakery located in the SanitĂ  District, decided to prepare a simple, fresh and delicate filling: a milk cream and ewe's milk ricotta, with which to stuff a fluffy brioche (which boasts a full 8 hours of rising!) covered with a cascade of icing sugar. The result was a good and inexpensive cake that was a huge success in a very short time; suffice it to say that from about 20 pieces baked every Sunday today boasts about ten thousand snowflakes per week.

Poppella's first location, initially a bakery, originated from two consorts, Raffaele Scognamiglio, nicknamed Papele, and Giuseppina Evangelista, viz. Pəppənella (Peppina): the union of their names gave birth to the most famous brand in Naples. The bakery's gastronomic culture passed from generation to generation, also becoming tarallificio, up to the current management, in the hands of Cyrus Scognamiglio and Cyrus Oliva.

The mile-long lines are a perfect testament to the success of this treat. Meanwhile, in addition to the main location near the Sanfelice Palace, a second point of sale, in via Santa Brigida, within walking distance of the Angevin Male, from Umberto I Gallery and from the San Carlo Theater.

Variants and imitations

Over time, several variations arose in the stuffing of the staple to suit all tastes, such as the one at the chocolate or to the pistachio (we tasted them all, a delight!).

Although the classic preparation for making flakes is now fairly well known, the complete and original recipe for Poppella has never been disclosed: who knows if we will be able to find out what ingredients make it so special of all!

Of course, over the years there have been many labs by bakery who have tried to replicate the recipe, giving it different names: chief among them the famous Cloud by Infante House, at first glance identical to the snowflake, or even the Snow White of the bakery Rescigno to Via Foria.

In Carbonara Street, on the other hand, the bakery Caprice proposed an alternative inspired by the bow but different, the babane: it is, in fact, about baba filled with milk cream, cream and mascarpone.