Zuccotto - a cake for all occasions

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Pane di Spagna is a light sponge cake found in most markets in Italy. It is often layered with mascarpone, pastry cream, fruit etc. Biscotti are also often layered in the same manner. These are common everyday desserts in Italy and are very easy to prepare.  There are no rules, just use what is in season and mix in nuts, cocoa, complementing liquor and you have yourself a dessert.

Zuccotto is light as a feather yet full of fruit and soaked with rum.  Filled it with fresh fruit such as, strawberries, raspberries or peaches. You can prepare it as shown here in this recipe or serve it in a clear glass pretty bowl maybe one with a pedistil, top it off with the whipped cream and scoop it out. Zuccotto can be served as shown in this recipe at your best occasions and will be very impressive.

Zuccotto

Recipe Summary Preparation Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: Follow the recipe for pastry cream Yield: 1-10”x5” Cake, 12 servings

Ingredients

3- 9” x 2” plain sponge cakes or cut in half  2 Pane di Spagna

DRIZZLE LIQUID

1/2 cup dark rum

FILLING

6 large, fresh peaches or 1 large container fresh strawberries

2 pastry cream recipes (found in most recipe books, or use vanilla pudding mixed with cream)

Drizzle Liquid

1/2 cup dark Rum

TOPPING

1 16 oz. container whipping cream 

2 tablespoons confectionary sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 pound almond slices, toasted

OTHER THINGS NEEDED

Bowl 10” x 5”

PREPERATION

FILLING

If you are using fresh peaches, peel them and cut them into slices. Put 2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water in a pan and dissolve the sugar until you have syrup. Place the peaches in the syrup and cook them until they are soft, but still have a slight stiffness. Remove them and allow them to cool, and reduce the syrup to about 1 cup. You can add a little peach brandy or rum to the syrup. Sprinkle the syrup over the cake instead of the rum as you would if you were using fresh strawberries. If using strawberries they should be washed, shucked and sliced.

Make the pastry cream according to the recipe directions and let it cool.

ASSEMBLY

Cover a 10” x 5” bowl or form with plastic wrap so that it completely covers the bowl. It should come down the outside of the bowl enough to fold over the cake at the end.

Cut the cakes in half and cover the bottom and sides of the bowl with the cake. Sprinkle a little rum over the entire cake. Spread a layer of pastry cream over bottom of the cake. Place another layer of cake over the cream and sprinkle it with a little rum. Slice the strawberries or peaches and place them over the rum soaked cake. Cover the fruit with another layer of cake again sprinkling the syrup or rum over the cake. Put another layer of fruit over the cake and another layer of pastry cream and cover the cream with the last layer of cake. This should take you to the top of your bowl. Bring the plastic wrap over the top of the bowl covering the entire top of the cake. Place a plate on the top with a weight, such as a can of tomatoes and put it in the refrigerator overnight. 

TOPPING

Place almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown. Watch them carefully as they will brown quickly.

In a cold bowl pour the cream and whip until the cream starts to stiffen. Put the vanilla and confectionary sugar in and beat until the cream forms stiff peaks.

Cover the entire cake with the whipped cream and pat the toasted almonds over the cake. Return it to the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.