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Zuccotto serving platter
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Nonna Anna’s Zuccotto

Prep Time1 hour
Chilling Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Zuccotto
Servings: 10 servings
Author: Anna

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
  • 1 12-ounce pound cake, Sara Lee frozen works well
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds
  • 1 pint raspberries, divided

Chocolate ganache

  • 1 ¾ cups heavy whipping cream
  • 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions

  • Line a 1 ½-quart bowl with plastic wrap. Leaving some extra hanging over the edges.
  • In a small sauce pan stir together the water, sugar and liqueur and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove the syrup from the heat.
  • Slice the pound cake into ½-inch slices. Cut two-thirds of those slices on the diagonal.
    Zuccotto cake slices
  • Pour the Chambord syrup into a shallow bowl.
  • Dip both sides of each diagonal slice into the raspberry syrup and lay into the bowl covering the bottom and sides of the bowl. Set the bowl aside. And set the remaining raspberry syrup aside.
    Zuccotto first layer
  • Melt 6-ounces of the chocolate in a microwave-proof bowl on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir, and heat for another minute at 50% in the microwave. Continue in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is completely melted. Let sit out to cool slightly.
  • Beat 2 cups of the cream with the powdered sugar and almond extract until stiff, but not dry. Beating whipped cream is always easier if your bowl and cream are both very cold.
  • Fold ⅓ of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate, add the slivered almonds to this mixture.
  • Into the remaining ⅔ of the whipped cream fold ½ of the raspberries.
  • Into the bowl of cake slices evenly spread the raspberry whipped cream mixture, leaving an indentation in the middle. The raspberry whipped cream should be about ¾" thick.
    Zuccotto Raspberry layer
  • Then put the chocolate/almond whipped cream mixture into the indentation.
  • Smooth the top.
    Zuccotto filled
  • Take the remaining pound cake slices, dip each side into the raspberry syrup and lay on top of the cream mixture, completely covering the cake. Brush any remaining syrup over the top.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Overnight is best.
  • A couple of hours before serving make the ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

  • Put the chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
  • Heat the cream to scalding (just until bubbles appear around the edge).
  • Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 8 minutes.
  • Stir until smooth.
  • Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  • Remove the Zuccotto from the refrigerator and invert onto a serving plate. Then remove the plastic wrap.
  • Smooth the ganache over the surface of the cake.
  • Garnish with remaining raspberries.

Notes

Gr8 Do Ahead Tip:
Make this up to 2 days ahead of time and keep refrigerated (without the ganache). The day of serving, proceed with removing from refrigerator and making the ganache. Then serve and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Mention @Great8Friends or tag #gr8food!