Zuccotto
- 20 cm round layer sponge cakes (8-inch)
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 2 tablespoons maraschino juice (or another)
- 60 g whole blanched almonds
- 60 g roasted hazelnuts
- 90 g dark chocolate
- 300 ml cream
- 1/4 cup icing sugar
- Cut cake in slices 1 cm (1/2") thick, cut each slice on the diagonal, making two triangular sections - this is so it will fit into 5 cup round based pudding basin.
- Combine brandy and Maraschino; carefully brush one side of each section of cake with this mixture.
- Place sections of cake unbrushed side against sides of tin, against the inside of.
- pudding bowl which as been lined with a layer of damp muslin; make sure the narrowest end of cake is on the bottom.
- Repeat process until the inside of the bowl is completely lined with cake; alternate crust and non-crust sides of cake to give striped effect; fill the gaps with pieces of moistened cake; trim edges of cake so they are level with top of basin; the left over cake will cover top when filled.
- Place almonds on oven tray, bake in moderate oven 5 minutes or until pale brown; remove from oven, cool.
- Chop almonds and hazelnuts roughly; chop 30g (1oz) chocolate, put aside; melt remaining chocolate in top of double saucepan over hot water.
- Whip together cream and sifted icing sugar until firms peaks form; fold nuts into mixture, divide mixture in half, fold chopped chocolate through one half and melted chocolate through the other.
- Spoon white cream mixture evenly over the entire cake surface, leaving a cavity in the centre of the bowl; spoon chocolate mixture into cavity.
- Moisten remaining cake with left over liqueur, arrange on top to cover surface completely; cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- Turn out carefully onto serving plate; if desired, dust top with combined sifted icing sugar and cocoa about one teaspoon of each.
cakes, brandy, maraschino juice, almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate, cream, icing sugar
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/zuccotto-175129 (may not work)