Zuccotto has everything going for it so I’m not sure why it isn’t up there in the ranks of famous Italian desserts. But I have rarely come across it. Not exactly a cake, although it includes sponge cake, not exactly not a cake so we’ll settle on dessert.
My first attempt at Zuccotto left me unimpressed. Perhaps because I am not a fan of ricotta cheese. Adding whipped cream and mascarpone simply made three neutral flavors predominant. So I went about using the flavors of Italy – amaretto, hazelnuts, cherries, candied orange, cinnamon, and chocolate to amp up the flavor and give it a lot of character. As with many European desserts, this is not overly sweet. Continue reading