Zuccotto – Italian dome cake

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 5 eggs
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 50 g cornstarch
• 1 packet of vanilla sugar
• 50 g flour
• 200 g dark chocolate
• 700 ml sweet cream
• 50 g almonds
• 300 g mascarpone or double cream cheese
• 50 g hazelnuts, peeled
• 4 cl Amaretto
• Powdered sugar for dusting
• Cocoa powder for dusting
• 50 pistachios, shelled

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 8 hours; Total time approx. 9 hours

sophisticated & delicious

Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff. Whisk the egg yolks, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar until fluffy. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Add the egg whites, cornstarch, and flour to the egg yolk mixture. Lightly fold in with a whisk. Spread onto the baking tray and bake for about 15 minutes. Turn the sponge cake out and remove the paper. Cut out a large circle (the diameter of a large bowl) and a small circle (the bottom of the bowl). Cut the remaining sponge cake into cone-shaped strips. Line the bowl with buttered strips of baking paper. Place the small sponge circle on the bottom and the sponge strips around the edge. Brush on the Amaretto. For the filling: Grate the chocolate and melt it with 100ml of cream in a double boiler. Roughly chop the almonds and nuts. Roast without adding any fat over low heat until golden brown. Stir half of the mixture into the chocolate along with 25g of pistachios. Whip the remaining cream until stiff. Fold about two-thirds into the lukewarm chocolate. Mix the mascarpone, the remaining cream, nuts, almonds, and pistachios. Transfer to the bowl and freeze for 20 minutes. Then spread the chocolate cream on top. Place the large sponge cake circle on top and refrigerate the cake for at least 8 hours. Decoration: Turn the zuccotto out, dust with powdered sugar. Arrange strips of paper in a star shape and dust the sugar with cocoa. Variations: Soak the sponge cakes in a mixture of rum, maraschino, and orange liqueur. Fold candied fruit and/or cherries into the filling. For garnish, you can use mocha beans, almond flakes, chocolate shavings, or candied orange or lemon slices.