Zuccotto

To make the Pan di Spagna

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C. A static oven (no fan) is best for this recipe.
2. Grease the cake pan with butter and place a cut-out disk of baking parchment in the bottom of the tin so the cake doesn’t stick.
3. Put the eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt in a bowl of a stand mixer. Start whisking the eggs on a medium speed and gradually add the sugar in 3 goes.
4. Whisk the eggs for 15-20 minutes until thick, pale and fluffy. You’ll know the eggs are whisked enough when you can draw a ribbon in the mixture without it disappearing.
5. Sieve both flours into the egg mixture a third at a time making sure to gently fold the flour into the egg so you don’t remove too much air. Doing this in three goes will also help avoid lumps in the batter.
6. Once the flour is fully combined transfer the batter to the cake pan and bake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 35-40 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for 10 minutes, remove then let it cool completely on a cooling rack.

To make the filling

1. Drain the ricotta in a sieve over a bowl to remove the excess liquid for at least 30-40 minutes. You can also leave it to drain in the fridge overnight.
2. Once drained, put the ricotta in a bowl and add the sugar. Whisk the sugar and ricotta together until smooth with no lumps.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks then gently fold it into the ricotta mixture ⅓ at a time.
4. Now it’s time to create two different fillings. Remove ⅔ of the ricotta mixture and place in another bowl. Add the chopped candied fruit and mix until combined then set aside.
5. Sift cocoa powder into the bowl with the remaining third of ricotta, add chocolate chips and mix until thoroughly combined.

To Asemble the Zuccotto

1. Line an 8x4 inch bowl with cling film (plastic wrap).
2. Remove the top golden crust from the cake. You can either thinly slice it off with a knife or gently rub it off with your fingers.
3. Cut the cake into 1cm (½ inch) thick slices then arrange them in the bowl to create a layer. You can cut slices to fit your bowl and overlap edges if needed.
4. Next, brush the sponge with the Alchermes or liqueur of choice (see notes). Spread the white ricotta cream all over the inside of the sponge in an even layer then fill the middle with the chocolate ricotta cream.
5. Use the remaining slices of sponge to seal the top of the Zuccotto and brush with more liqueur.
6. Wrap the top with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 6 hours to overnight. Once chilled, remove from the fridge, unwrap the plastic wrap from the top and overturn the Zuccotto onto a plate.
7. Remove the plastic wrap completely then top with a dusting of cocoa powder, serve.