Tuscan zuccotto cake and ice cream dessert
I have always thought the domed Tuscan zuccotto cake and ice cream dessert was above my abilities in the kitchen. But it turned out to be a lot easier to make than feared.
Zuccotto is a sponge cake molded into a dome and filled with cream and chocolate mousse. Not a bad beginning for a dessert that is said to have been inspired by the domes of Florence or a cardinal’s skullcap called ‘zucchetto’ or a pumpkin called ‘zucco’. Either way it looks like something from The Great Bake Off, although I suspect it was originally invented to get rid of leftover panettone or colomba.
Ingredients
2 sponge cake layers (In Scandinavia these can be bought ready-made. In Italy you can use leftover Panettone. Or you can bake the sponge yourself following the recipe here. Just leave out the walnuts)
3 tbsp apple juice
200 g dark chocolate 70%
50 g almonds
50 g hazelnuts
500 ml double cream
250 g ricotta
50 g icing sugar
100 g chocolate for the icing
Candied violets
Preparation
Find a 15 cm glass bowl and line it with clingfilm.
Cut a circle of one sponge cake layer with a pasta cutter to fit the bottom of the bowl.
Cut the rest of the sponge cake layer into trapeze shaped pieces.
Line the bowl with sponge cake like a jigsaw puzzle.
Drizzle with a little apple juice (or Vin Santo) to seal the edges.
Mix ricotta with icing sugar and chopped almonds, nuts and 50 g chocolate.
Whip 400 ml double cream and fold half of it into the ricotta mixture.
Melt 150 g chocolate with 100 ml double cream over a water bath to make ganache.
Fold the rest of the whipped cream into the chocolate ganache.
Spoon the ricotta mixture into the bowl. Make sure it lines all sides and leave a dent in the middle.
Place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Fill the dent in the middle of the zuccotto with chocolate cream.
Cut a circle of the remaining sponge cake layer and cover the dome.
Leave the Zuccotto in the freezer for another couple of hours. It should not be completely frozen.
Invert the pudding on to a serving dish and remove the clingfilm. This should leave you with a perfectly shaped dome.
Melt the icing chocolate over a hot water bath and spread it over the cake to cover it completely.
Sprinkle with candied violets and leave the cake in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
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You said to leave the Zuccotto in the freezer for a few more hours but it shouldn’t be completely frozen. Isn’t it pretty much frozen through after an hour?? I just don’t want to mess it up if I try this is all. GREAT job on this, Mette and it looks and sounds amazing!! Chocolate and cream aside what really caught my eye was the ricotta! Nice to have you back too :)
Wasn’t a problem to me, But I guess the sponge does not freeze as easily as the ice cream.
Oh gotcha…makes total sense now, Mette! Thank you! :)
Thank you for the recipe, Mette :)
This was definitely my pleasure:)
Mette, this sounds absolutely incredible – I really want to have a go at this and it just looks so pretty with the candied violets on top.
Do give it a try. With a bowl and some cling film it is not too difficult. And chocolate covers the flaws there might be.
Kudos Mette! It’s a delicious treat and you’ve mastered it. *applause* *hug*
Thanks – I never get enough of that:)