Are you ready to make Zuppa Inglese?
This is a dessert Mama Jeanette introduced me to so many years ago. One cold day in November she had asked me I wanted for dessert that night, and without thinking, I said chocolate pudding. As I walked out the door for my day’s work, I saw Mama smile, I had no idea what she was going to make but I knew it certainly wasn’t going to be instant chocolate pudding!
She didn’t say a word about dessert until after dinner that evening when she brought a glass bowl filled to the top with deliciousness! Mama Jeanette had made Zuppa Inglese! I had no idea what it was but as I devoured almost half the bowl, she explained it was, in fact, an Italian version of an English Trifle. Many years before her mother had taught her how to make this 17th-century classic, that had come from the Emila Romagna region of Italy.
I couldn’t find the Alchermes (a very bright red herbed cherry Liquor) that goes into this classic dessert. I had gone to one of our Liquor superstores to find that concoction, and when I stopped a worker to ask if they had it, he so enthusiastically asked in a very heavy Italian accent if I was making Zuppa Inglese!
I laughed and said yes I was and how did he know and did he have it? His instant reply was no, and that Zuppa Inglese was the only thing it was ever used for. He then began telling me how his Mama had made Zuppa Inglese for him and how much he missed her! I asked him if there was anything close to it and he again replied No, but to use rum and some Maraschino cherry juice instead.
I decided to pass on the maraschino cherry juice and instead added a layer of raspberries for that red color. I thought the contrast of flavors would also add another dimension to the dessert.
My Zuppa Inglese is actually fairly close to the Zabaglione, and to be honest with you, even when I do make the French version- Sabayon, I never ever use Marsala! I love Marsala with meats but just have never acquired the taste for it in desserts.
I made individual portions of this delicious dessert and I have to say the raspberries were essential! I didn’t quite get the separation I was looking for, but oh my did I get the flavors! My only shortcoming was in not using enough of my sugar syrup to really saturate the cookies and they were just a little crunchy, but still very very tasty!
If you enjoyed this recipe you may like these:
Zuppa Inglese
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar divided
- 4 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ounce semi sweet chocolate finely chopped
Syrup
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup dark rum
- ½ grenadine
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest grated
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream chilled
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Assembly
- 30 – 36 Savoradi ladyfingers sponge cake can be substituted
- 2 oz sliced almonds toasted
- 1 oz chocolate shavings for garnish
- raspberries optional for garnish
Instructions
Pastry Cream
- Place the milk, sugar, cornstarch, eggs, vanilla and salt in a stainless steel bowl, mix well with a wire whip. Using a double boiler method place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and continue to whip until the mixture thickens.
- Separate the mixture evenly into two bowls.
- Add the chocolate to one bowl to make a chocolate cream. Mix well until chocolate is fully melted and incorporated into cream.
- refrigerate for at least an hour.
syrup
- Bring 1 cup water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the grenadine, rum and orange zest. Allow the mixture to reduce slightly.
- Remove the syrup from the heat let the mixture cool completely.
Whipped Cream
- Slowly whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla bean paste until it forms soft peaks. *Start slow and gradually build up the speed. This will help the whipped cream keep its shape.
- Divide the whipped cream in half. Divide one-half of the divided whipped cream into two parts and gently fold one part into each of the chilled pastry creams using a rubber spatula.*Allow the pastry creams to chill for one hour.
assembly
- Using a 9 x 9-inch glass baking dish, make a layer of ladyfingers, and brush with the sugar syrup to moisten (use more than you think you need!)
- Spread the vanilla pastry cream on top of the ladyfingers.
- Top with another layer of ladyfingers, and brush that layer with the syrup
- Spread the chocolate pastry cream over top of the second layer of lady fingers.
- Top with the remaining whipped cream
- Chill for at least two hours or overnight.
- Before serving garnish with toasted almond slices, shaved chocolate and raspberries.
Angel
Hey Dennis so happy to find this site my great aunt use to use this recipe my sisters having her baby shower tomorrow and i’m making Zuppa Engles cake e so all I need to no is how to make 1 gallon of the chocolate custard back to me this is like a 911 you no how hormonal women are im trying to figure it out but I was looking at a comment about the custard so that’s 2 cups of milk to ever 1/2 cup chocolate custard and I was wondering if any of the other ingredients were wrong anyway HELP !!! thanks much ! Angel D
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Angel
just follow the directions in my post to make the custards, you’ll probably need to make it 4 times if you need that much
Chef D
hi Don
I am located in the Philadelphia area, living across the bridge in Jersey and working in Flourtown, Pa.n feeding 600 HS girls, its a small account so most of the work falls to me, including all the admin work as well, and that makes for a long day.
I am from San Antonio Texas originally, and its funny but my Mothers maiden name is Cueva, her father Joe was a minister and from Aguas Caliente originally. I haven’t been home in too many years. I would love to show my wife Texas, such a beautiful state.
I am very happy that you did find my blog and it’s certainly my pleasure to meet you. I hope to see you around and look forward to hearing from you. If you ever have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me,
Cheers
Dennis
Don Cuevas
Dennis, I used to work the graveyard shift in a bakery, so I know what those long, arduous shifts are like. Although I’m retired now, I hate to write recipes on my blog, hoping that my readers have the skills and confidence to improvise from guidelines. But I do appreciate your efforts.
I discovered your blog only this morning, and I’m pleased with your positive response to my feedback.
Where are you located? We are near Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, México.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Don Cuevas
Chef Dennis, I don’t want to be a PITA, but when I was looking over the print copy of this recipe, I noticed that the pastry cream had no sugar in it.
“Place the milk, cornstarch, eggs, vanilla and salt in a stainless steel bowl, mix well with a wire whip and place over a pot of boiling water and continue to whip until mixture thickens.”
Since the total amount of sugar as given in the ingredient list is 1 3/4 cups, and 1 cup of that goes into the syrup, and another 1/4 cup goes into the whipping cream, that leaves 1/2 cup for the pastry cream, which sounds about right to me. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
As a suggestion, it could be useful for readers to write, “1¾ cups sugar, DIVIDED”, in the ingredient list. Many of us, including myself, tend to proceed hastily and into a cooking disaster, without such advisories.
Thanks for your patience.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Chef D
Hi Don
thank you so much for finding the mistake in the directions, I did as you suggested and added divided to the sugar, you are correct 1/2 cup goes into the pastry cream.
Unfortunately I write most of my posts after working 12 hours, and sometimes my attention to detail is not as good as it should be. Most of my cooking and photographing gets done on the weekends when I ‘m off so luckily that comes out pretty well…lol
Please hang in there with me, I can always use your help in editing! Please feel free to email me anytime you have a question.
Have a happy day my friend
Dennis
Don Cuevas
This is beautiful and just what I was looking for. It seems more “do-able” than other recipes I’ve seen on the Web, but it doesn’t “cheat” with pudding mix and the like.
One question: the ingredient list mentions the zest of one orange, but where or how is it used in the procedure instructions?
Many thanks!
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Chef D
Hi Don
sorry about that on the zest, add it into the sugar syrup mixture as your making it.
let me know how it comes out when you do make, it’s not at all difficult just a few steps that make it seem a little harder than it actually is.
Cheers
Dennis
Don Cuevas
Thanks, Chef Dennis. That makes sense. I wanted to be sure.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Jacqueline - The Dusty Baker
I love Mama Jeanette stories. This recipes looks delicious, as always, and raspberries and chocolate – always yum!
Alli
I like that you swapped the maraschino cherries with raspberries! And rum and orange are such a nice combo…this dish looks delicious!
JavelinWarrior
These are amazing and I’ve been inspired to feature them in my Friday Food Fetish roundup. And I’ll be sharing on Pinterest. Please let me know if you have any objections and KEEP IT COMING!
Chef D
no objections, thanks very much for sharing my Zuppa Inglese!