Name: Zuccotto: a Creamy Italian Dessert Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 49 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 layer of Victoria sponge baked in a 9" tin (or a pound cake cut into 1/2" slices); 2 oz (60 ml) plus 1 Tbsp your choice of liqueur (but Grand Marnier or Cointreau is necessary for the custard part of the recipe); 4 oz (113 g) semisweet (good quality) chocolate, broken into pieces; 2 ounces (57 g) grated dark chocolate; 18 oz (530 ml) heavy/whipping cream (10 oz for the filling and 8 oz to decorate); 4 tsp (divided into 2 parts) instant espresso-coffee powder; 1 recipe of Italian pastry cream (below); more grated chocolate or chocolate curls for decoration; 4 egg yolks (organic); 100 g (3.5 oz) sugar; 2 Tbsp (30g) flour; 500 ml (17 oz) milk; 1 tsp vanilla

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Zuccotto is a fabulous, creamy Italian dessert cake that is made in the form of a dome, or more specifically a pumpkin. Make it once, and it won’t be the last time.

cut zuccotto on a cake stand outside

Originally published August 11, 2014.

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What is Zuccotto?

Zuccotto is derived from the Italian word for pumpkin, “zucca”, but I can assure you, it’s much more delicious than a pumpkin! The dessert is originally from Florence, but has changed through the years. It was originally created by Bernardo Buontalenti at a banquet for the Medici family. You can read more about this Italian dessert cake here.

zuccotto on a cakestand

As you can see below the very top photo, I originally published this recipe over six years ago. However, the photos were so incredibly bad, I made the post private so that no one could see it. The recipe, however, is fabulous. I’ve told you about one of my favorite dessert cookbooks before, and this recipe is from that same book.

Another no-bake Italian dessert: Limoncello Tiramisu!

limoncello tiramisu

Is it an authentic Northern Italian zuccotto recipe? No, but it’s actually not a far cry from it. I checked the zuccotto recipe in Il Cucchiaio d’Argento, and it’s actually quite similar, but uses ricotta instead of a crema pasticcera. I’ve adapted the recipe to make it more my style: instead of using a purchased pound cake, I made my own sponge; and instead of using a pudding mix, I made my own Italian crema pasticcera (pastry cream).

Is Zuccotto Hard to Make?

Please don’t be put off and think that zuccotto is too difficult to make, as it truly is not difficult at all. If you just take the recipe step by step, you’ll see that a child can make this delectable dessert! I’ve been making this zuccotto recipe for many years, which is why I’m sharing this particular recipe with you instead of an authentic version I’ve never made.

What about the original and authentic tiramisù recipe? I have it!

Zuccotto for the Holidays!

There’s nothing better than a spectacular cake for the holidays, starting with Halloween! How perfect to make a pumpkin cake for a spooky party! It would be easy to decorate this to look for like a real pumpkin, too!

Try this pistachio cream in your favorite Italian treats like zeppole or doughnuts!

What a surprise for Thanksgiving guests to have a slice of zuccotto in addition to pumpkin pie! I often make a zuccotto for Christmas, but the one in all the photos on this post was from New Year’s Day, 2020. I was at my parents’ house in Michigan and made one while I was visiting.

Note: I highly recommend using a scale for this recipe.

Zuccotto

recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts Serves 12

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

cake slices
liqueur
semisweet chocolate
dark chocolate
heavy whipping cream
instant espresso-coffee powder
Italian pastry cream
grated chocolate or chocolate curls for decoration

Italian Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera) slightly adapted from Il Cucchiaio D’Argento

egg yolks
sugar
flour
milk
vanilla

Step by Step Directions

1. Prepare the Bowl and Line with Cake

Line a 2 1/2 quart bowl with plastic wrap. Have it much larger than you need to cover the top later.

Cut the sponge cake in half. I love this inexpensive tool.

Place one slice in the bottom of the bowl. If you’re using a loaf cake, cut slices and then triangles and fill the bowl like a jigsaw puzzle to cover every spot, so that the entire bowl is covered.

Slice a few pieces of the other half of the cake into strips.

Use the strips to line around the cake in the bowl. This only takes a few minutes, and its very easy!

Sprinkle the cake with your choice of liqueur. I used Kahlua this time.

2. Make the Pastry Cream

In a medium sized pot (off the heat), stir the egg yolks and sugar together briskly with a wooden spoon.

mixing egg yolks and sugar

Add the flour a little at a time and incorporate into the mixture.

adding flour

Heat the milk to boiling and add the vanilla. Begin adding the hot milk to the mixture a little at a time, mixing well in between additions. Do not add too much at once or the eggs may curdle.

adding milk to pastry cream

Continue adding the hot milk and stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.

adding milk to pastry cream

Once all the milk has been added, put the pot onto medium heat and continue to stir.

stirring pastry cream

Once the mixture comes to a boil, let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes then remove from the heat. Keep stirring as it cools so that it doesn’t form a skin.

pastry cream on a spoon

3.Melt the Chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, or in a bowl over some hot water and set aside.

melted chocolate in a pan

4.Make the Zuccotto Filling

In a medium sized bowl, beat 10 oz (300 ml) heavy whipping cream with the instant coffee powder until stiff peaks form; set aside.

To the cooled pastry cream, add 1 Tbsp of Grand Marnier, the 2 oz (57 g) of grated chocolate and the whipped coffee cream. Fold mixture until completely combined.

making the zuccotto filling

Spread 2/3 of the mixture into the cake-lined bowl almost reaching the top, but not completely. Leave a hollow in the middle and don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect, it will be fine in the end.

5. Fill the Zuccotto

filling zuccotto

Add the melted chocolate to the remaining cream.

adding chocolate to cream

Mix well until the color is uniform.

chocolate cream

Then fill the center of the zuccotto.

6. Seal the Zuccotto and Chill.

Take pieces of the remaining cake and close up the bottom of the zuccotto. Don’t worry about what it looks like, just be sure to cover the entire area. This will be the bottom of the dessert.

Sprinkle with more of your chosen liqueur, then seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but I like to leave it overnight.

7.Decorate the Zuccotto

Beat the remaining 8 oz of heavy whipping cream, with the other 2 teaspoons of coffee powder and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar until stiff peaks form.

When ready to decorate, remove top plastic wrap and place a FLAT (must be completely flat!) plate or cake stand on top of the zuccotto and invert. Remove the bowl.

unmolding the zuccotto

Ta dah! This is my favorite part! (And see those cracks? It doesn’t matter, it’s still going to turn out perfectly.)

Zuccotto on a plate

Spread the coffee-flavored whipped cream all over the zuccotto.

putting cream on the zuccotto

Make swirls or peaks in the cream, whichever way you like, but it doesn’t have to be fancy. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings, curls or more grated chocolate.

zuccotto on a cakestand

It’s best to refrigerate the cake for an hour or so. However, you can serve it immediately if you need to.

slice of zuccotto on a plate

There was snow on the deck when I was in Michigan. I don’t get many opportunities to shoot food in snow!

I hope you enjoy this zuccotto recipe as much as I have over the years!