Zuccotto (Florentine chocolate and cream sponge dome)
A cream and chocolate filled dome lined with liqueur soaked sponge, inspired by Florence's cathedral. Chill it overnight and it slices beautifully.
- Time5 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.90 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Line a 1.5 litre pudding basin or round bowl with cling film, leaving plenty hanging over the edge.
- 2
Slice the cake thinly. Mix the amaretto and brandy and brush both sides of each slice. Line the bowl with the slices, overlapping slightly and pressing the gaps closed. Keep enough slices back to make a lid.
- 3
Whip the cream with 75 g icing sugar and the vanilla until it holds firm peaks. Fold in the hazelnuts and chopped chocolate.
- 4
Split the cream in half. Spoon one half into the sponge lined bowl, pushing it up the sides to leave a hollow in the middle.
- 5
Stir the melted dark chocolate into the other half of the cream, then fill the hollow. Level the top.
- 6
Cover with the remaining sponge slices, brushing them with the last of the liqueur. Fold over the cling film and weigh down gently with a small plate. Chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
240 min - 7
Turn out onto a plate and peel off the film. Mix the cocoa and icing sugar and dust in stripes over the dome using a sieve and strips of paper as a guide.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
