Zuccotto (Layered Italian Cake)
Sunday, May 9th
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
This Mother’s Day, join Gloria and her granddaughter in her apartment kitchen, centrally located in the heart of Florence, and learn how to make the oldest dessert in Florence - “Zuccotto”! Bernardo Buontalenti, who is also credited as the inventor of gelato, created this spongy and creamy layered cake for one of the Medici family’s banquets. See for yourself how unique and delicious this cake is!
Please be mindful of the time of the class you sign up for and your own time zone. After registration, you will receive a link to the Zoom online meeting session we will use.
Ingredients & Preparation
Have your ingredients pre-measured and prepped before the class for a more seamless experience.
If you do not have certain ingredients, our chefs will do their best to suggest substitutions.
Before class:
Sponge cake: Please have your sponge cake ready for class. You can either buy a sponge cake or make your own (see Gloria’s recipe below).
Gloria’s Sponge Cake:
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
4 eggs
3 egg yolks
7 tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter and dust a 17-inch x 11-inch baking pan. In a bowl, pour in flour and cornstarch. In a separate bowl, add the eggs. With an electric mixer, beat eggs and egg yolks briefly and then beat in sugar at a high speed for 5 minutes. Next, gently add the flour mixture little by little to the egg and sugar mixture. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 7 minutes, or until it is just firm and beginning to brown.
Let cool completely before using.
Zuccotto Cake
Makes 1 cake
1/2 pound sponge cake (if you want to make one, see recipe above)
1 ¼ cups whipping cream
1 pound ricotta cheese
2 ounces diced dark chocolate
5 ounces powdered sugar
1-ounce bitter cocoa powder
2 ounces mixed candied fruit, diced
2 cups rum or cherry liqueur (or better, a combination of the two)
½ cup water or milk
Equipment
Certain commonly used kitchen tools are not listed here, such as cutlery, dishes, mixing bowls, pots, and pans. Any additional equipment is listed here.
1 bowl about 7 ½ inches in diameter by about 3 ½ inches deep
2 mixing bowls
Cutting board and knife
Electric mixer/whisk to whip the cream
General Steps
Whip cream and then create ricotta mixture.
Create two fillings with candied fruit and chocolate.
Cut up sponge cake and cover pan.
Put layers in the pan.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!