Zuccotto

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 125 g powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp vanilla sugar
• 50 g cornstarch
• 50 g flour
• 200 g dark chocolate
• 50 g peeled almonds
• 50 g peeled hazelnuts
• 50 g meringue (from baker)
• 1 l whipping cream
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 20 ml brandy
• 20 ml amaretto
• 150 g couverture chocolate
• powdered sugar (for dusting)
• raspberries (for topping)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, preheat oven to 175°C. Separate the eggs and beat yolks, powdered sugar, and vanilla sugar until fluffy. Whisk egg whites very stiff and fold in. Mix flour and cornstarch and fold into the mixture. Spread about 1 cm thick onto the sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to a board and remove paper. Line a deep half‑round bowl with buttered parchment. Cut a small circle from the well‑cooled sponge and place it in the bowl. Slice remaining sponge into strips and line the sides of the bowl with some. Mix brandy and amaretto and brush onto the sponge.

2. 2.

   Grate half the chocolate finely. Melt the rest with 100 ml cream over a water bath. Roughly chop almonds and hazelnuts. Crumble meringue. Whip remaining cream with 50 g powdered sugar until stiff, fold in nuts and chocolate shavings. Divide cream into two portions. Mix one portion with meringue, the other with chocolate. Spoon the meringue‑cream into the form, spread sponge evenly around to the top. Chill for 20 minutes. Fill with chocolate‑cream, smooth. Cover surface with remaining sponge strips and refrigerate at least 6 hours.

3. 3.

   Melt couverture over a water bath. Transfer chilled cake onto a plate, remove parchment, coat with melted chocolate, optionally top with raspberries and dust powdered sugar.