Zuccotto
A classic Florentine chilled dome cake made with liqueur-soaked sponge, layered with sweetened ricotta, dark chocolate, and candied fruit.
- Prep
- 45 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •1.5-litre dome bowl or pudding basin
- •Cling film
- •Electric hand whisk
- •Mixing bowls
- •Rubber spatula
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 21 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 9 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Line a 1.5-litre dome-shaped bowl completely with two layers of cling film, leaving overhang on the sides.
- 2
Mix the Alchermes liqueur and water together in a wide shallow bowl.
- 3
Dip the sponge cake slices briefly into the liqueur liquid until tinted pink but not falling apart.
- 4
Arrange the soaked sponge pieces tightly inside the lined bowl to completely cover the base and sides.
- 5
Whisk the drained ricotta and icing sugar together in a large mixing bowl until smooth and silky.
- 6
Whip the chilled double cream in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the ricotta.
- 7
Divide the creamy ricotta mixture equally between two clean bowls.
- 8
Fold the chopped dark chocolate and candied orange peel into the first bowl of cream.
- 9
Sift the cocoa powder into the second bowl of cream and fold through along with the chopped toasted almonds.
- 10
Spoon the white chocolate cream into the sponge-lined bowl, pressing it against the sides to leave a central well.
- 11
Fill the centre with the dark cocoa cream and level the surface with a spatula.
- 12
Cover the top with the remaining soaked sponge slices, fold over the cling film overhang, and chill for 6 hours.
- 13
Unwrap the cling film, invert the dome onto a serving plate, remove the basin and plastic, and dust with cocoa.
Chef's tips
Drain the ricotta thoroughly in a sieve lined with cheesecloth overnight in the fridge to ensure the dome holds its shape firmly. Dip the sponge slices swiftly into the liqueur rather than soaking them, which prevents the structure from becoming soggy and collapsing.
Ingredient substitutions
- Alchermes liqueur → Vin Santo, sweet Marsala, or a combination of rum and pomegranate juice
- sheep's milk ricotta → well-drained cow's milk ricotta
Storage
Store tightly covered with cling film in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Do not reheat; serve chilled straight from the refrigerator.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Over-soaking the sponge cake slices, causing the entire dome to collapse upon unmoulding.
- •Using wet, undrained ricotta which results in a runny, unstable filling.
- •Unmoulding and slicing too soon before the dessert has thoroughly chilled and set.
Serving suggestions
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