A new dessert, actually an easy cake with pandoro, a delicious zuccotto filled and decorated to use pandoro, but it is not a recycling; it is a good and nice dessert, eh eh!
As with this type of spoon desserts, first you line the semicircle shape of the mold (mine is very old and has some dents here and there) with slices of pandoro, then make a first layer of cream, whichever you prefer. Then proceed with a large slice of pandoro which acts as a separator and changes the texture of the dessert, add more cream, and close with another circle of Christmas pandoro.
The classic zuccotto is a dessert of Tuscan origin called “elmo di Caterina“, because it seems that the architect Bernardo Buontalenti used a helmet as a mold before dedicating it to Queen Caterina de’ Medici.
This half-sphere shaped dessert is very simple but also very good, and it can be varied in many ways.
How to make the outer part of the zuccotto? Today, during the Christmas period, I used pandoro, but you can use slices of sponge cake, ladyfingers, pavesini, sponge cake, and much more.
And what are the best creams to fill and make the zuccotto filling? It is essential to use quite firm creams; clearly, we can’t use an English cream but a sweeter sauce that is more compact and does not become watery when tasted.
So let’s use fairly firm pastry creams, mascarpone cream, ricotta cream …
And what about the soaking of the zuccotto or easy pandoro cake? This step requires some attention if there are children or adults at the table, so we opt for a slightly alcoholic soaking or a simple syrup of water and sugar or with fruit juice.
On this subject, I leave you this article that describes many ideas and recipes to pair creams, batters, and soaks!
How to externally decorate the zuccotto of pandoro? I used sweetened vegetable cream, but you can make a thin layer of cream and then sprinkle it with powdered sugar or bitter or sweet cocoa.
We can also, after covering it with a thin layer of cream or cream, sprinkle it with hazelnut, almond, or pistachio grains, but always be careful not to add too many different aromas so as not to create a mishmash of flavors.
I also leave you other sweet recipes with pandoro base such as:
MOUSSE OF YOGURT CREAM AND BERRIES
SWEET STAR OF PANDORO
EASY PANDORO CAKE
The kitchen of ASI
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8/10
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 1 pandoro
- 2.8 oz crunchy nougat
- 1.8 oz chocolate chips
- 1.1 cups fresh liquid cream
- 6 oz mascarpone
- 3.5 oz cow's milk ricotta
- 4 tbsps powdered sugar
- 3 tbsps Nutella®
- 1.7 cups vegetable cream
- 4 tbsps powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tbsps rum
- 7 tbsps water
- 1 tbsp sugar
Preparation
To make the easy cake with pandoro, first line the ZUCCOTTO mold with plastic wrap.
Chop the nougat into pieces that are neither too small nor too chunky.
Mix ricotta, mascarpone, and powdered sugar. Add the whipped cream (250 ml), nougat, and chocolate chips.
Cut the pandoro into slices about 0.4 inches thick at most.
Put the rum with water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn off and let it cool.
With this syrup, soak the pandoro slices evenly.
Pour the cream, leveling it well inside the pandoro zuccotto.
Now place a slice of pandoro, trying to cover the cream already placed inside the easy pandoro cake.
Now finish preparing the cake with pandoro by adding a few spoons of Nutella here and there.
At this point, close the easy cake with pandoro and cream with a slice of pandoro.
Seal well with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Shortly before serving, whip the vegetable cream, sweetening it if necessary, and set aside 3/4 tablespoons to combine with the cocoa for the cocoa tufts.
Cover the entire easy cake with pandoro with tufts of whipped cream, place some chocolate tufts here and there, and … ready to go to the table with the pandoro zuccotto!
Enjoy your meal and happy holidays again!
Annalisa
