ZUCCOTTO easy and quick recipe
The ricotta and chocolate chip zuccotto is a traditional Tuscan dessert shaped like a dome.
Originally it consisted of a shell lined with sponge cake and filled with a ricotta cream sweetened with honey and enriched with almonds, dried figs or citrus zest.
Today there are many variations: the shell can be made with ladyfingers, Pavesini biscuits and even pandoro or panettone, and the filling is often replaced by ice cream in different flavors.
A decadent spoon dessert, delightful in its combinations and elegant in its simplicity.
It’s really simple to make, especially if you use ready-made sponge cake, ladyfingers or Pandoro.
You don’t need a specific mold to prepare a zuccotto; a simple semi-spherical bowl or serving bowl will suffice.
A perfect dessert to share after dinner with friends, and it can be prepared well in advance and unmolded when needed.
The recipe I’m presenting today is made with a ready sponge cake shell filled with a delicate ricotta and mascarpone cream enriched with chocolate chips.
Ready to make it? You’ll fall in love at the first bite!
ZUCCOTTO easy and quick recipe
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4-6 people
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 253.58 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 25.03 (g) of which sugars 19.00 (g)
- Proteins 4.78 (g)
- Fat 16.11 (g) of which saturated 8.58 (g)of which unsaturated 1.20 (g)
- Fibers 0.18 (g)
- Sodium 43.72 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- sponge cake (1 or ladyfingers, pandoro, panettone, Pavesini biscuits)
- milk (as needed)
- 1 cup (about 8.8 oz / 250 g) whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup (about 8.8 oz / 250 g) mascarpone
- 3/4 cup (about 100 g) powdered sugar
- 3.5 oz (about 100 g) dark chocolate chips
- powdered sugar (for dusting)
- unsweetened cocoa powder
Preparation
Place the ricotta and mascarpone in a bowl at room temperature, add the powdered sugar and whisk everything with electric beaters until you obtain a light, fluffy cream. Fold the dark chocolate chips into the cream with a spatula. Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.
Line a bowl (6 11/16 in diameter and 4 1/3 in high) with plastic wrap to make unmolding easier once the dessert is finished.
Remove the crust from the sponge cake and slice it into pieces about 1 cm thick.
Place the slices inside the bowl so they adhere well to the sides and completely line the bowl.
Using a pastry brush, lightly moisten the inside with a little milk.
Take the ricotta and mascarpone cream from the fridge and pour it into the bowl lined with sponge cake. Level the surface with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
Place a final layer of sponge cake over the cream to cover the base completely and trim any excess with a knife.
Then, using the brush again, soak the base with a little milk as well.
Cover with more plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
After resting, the zuccotto will have set and you can proceed with decoration. I chose to dust it first with powdered sugar and then with unsweetened cocoa powder. Your zuccotto is now ready to be served.
STORAGE
Once ready, the zuccotto can be stored in the refrigerator for 4–5 days. If filled with the ricotta and mascarpone cream it is not suitable for freezing. If you want to keep it in the freezer ready for any occasion, I recommend preparing a frozen (ice cream) version of the zuccotto.
TIPS AND VARIATIONS
The filling can also be made by replacing the mascarpone with an equal amount of ricotta; in that case I suggest using 250 g of cow’s milk ricotta and 250 g of sheep’s ricotta.
Instead of chocolate chips you can add candied citrus peel, toasted almonds, berries or any other ingredient you like.
For a super-indulgent version, divide the filling into two parts, add 50 g of unsweetened cocoa powder to one part and create two alternating colored layers for the filling.
Instead of sponge cake you can use ladyfingers, classic Pavesini, chocolate Pavesini and even leftover panettone or pandoro.
In place of milk to moisten the bases you can make an alcoholic syrup with rum or another liqueur of your choice, or a simple but colorful Alchermes syrup.
DARK CHOCOLATE GLAZE AND HAZELNUT CRUMB
Want a super-decadent decoration? Try a dark chocolate glaze sprinkled with desiccated coconut.
To prepare it, gently heat 3.5 oz (about 100 g) of dark chocolate together with 1/4 cup (50 ml) heavy cream in a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and becomes a smooth sauce.
Place the zuccotto on a rack to let any excess chocolate drip off and begin glazing from the center, finishing with the sides.
Before the glaze cools, sprinkle with desiccated coconut and let rest about 30 minutes so the glaze can set.
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