'Zuppa Inglese' (Italian trifle) recipe

Gennaro Contaldo
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'Zuppa Inglese' (Italian trifle) recipe

This is not an English soup, as the title suggests, but an Italian trifle. I am not sure where this recipe originates from, but it is suggested that the cooks of the Dukes of Este in Ferrara tried to recreate the English trifle after visits to England. 

The trifle is traditionally made with vanilla and chocolate crema pasticciera (custard) and alchermes (an aromatic, herb-infused, red-coloured liqueur); I have used Marsala, a traditional Sicilian fortified sweet wine, instead. If you can’t find savoiardi biscuits, use sponge boudoir fingers. 

At a glance
  • Cuisine Italian
  • Recipe Type Dessert
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation time 30 mins
  • Cooking time 0 mins
  • Serves 4 people
Ingredients
  • 500 ml (17.6fl oz) hot milk (not boiling)
  • 0.5 vanilla pod (cut lengthways) or 1/2 tsp finely grated unwaxed lemon zest
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 150 g (5.3oz) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 50 g (1.8oz) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
  • 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 200 g (7.1oz) savoiardi biscuits
  • 200 ml (7fl oz) Marsala

Step-by-step

  1. Put the milk in a jug, drop in the vanilla pod or lemon zest and leave to infuse. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and creamy.
  2. Add the flour and continue to whisk until well amalgamated. Strain the milk through a sieve, then whisk it into the egg mixture. Transfer to a pan and place on a low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens.
  3. Pour half the custard into a bowl and add the cocoa powder, then whisk well, until amalgamated. Leave the 2 custards to cool.
  4. Dip the savoiardi biscuits into the Marsala and use to line a serving bowl. Spoon in a layer of vanilla custard, then lay on more savoiardi biscuits, then chocolate custard.
  5. Continue layering, finishing with the chocolate custard, until you have used all the ingredients. Place in the fridge until required. Serve.

Recipe taken from Let's cook Italian, by Gennaro Contaldo.

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