(serves 12-15)

I love everything about this pudding. It is creamy, fruity and boozy. You can choose the alcohol to brush onto the cake casing but I always use Crème de Framboise, a raspberry flavoured liqueur, as I include raspberries in the filling.

I love everything about this pudding. It is creamy, fruity and boozy.

INGREDIENTS

Purchased Rectangular Vanilla Sponge Cake around about 600g, plus a additional thin round sponge
65ml (1/4 cup) Crème de Framboise
550g (3 cups) ricotta
1 + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
225g (1+ 1/2 cups) icing sugar
235g (1 cup) mascarpone
250ml (1 cup) cream (lightly whipped)
65g (1/2 cup) pistachios (roasted and roughly chopped)

65g (1/2 cup) hazelnuts (roasted, skinned and roughly chopped)
250g (1 + 1/2 cups) dark chocolate
(roughly chopped)
65g (1/2 cup) candied or mixed peel
240g (2 cups) raspberries (fresh or defrosted frozen)
Raspberry Coulis

METHOD

Take a 2.5 litre pudding bowl and line bowl with gladwrap allowing overlap. Place rectangular sponge onto a chopping board. Cut one round from the sponge to fit the base of pudding bowl. Cut remaining sponge in half lengthways. Cut rectangular pieces into 3.5cm rectangles and cut each in half to make triangles.

Place the small cut sponge round in the centre of the prepared bowl, then line sides with sponge triangles, fitting them together tightly. Fill in any gaps with leftover sponge. Using a pastry brush, generously dab Crème de Framboise over sponge.

Place ricotta, vanilla and sugar into a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process till smooth. Add mascarpone and pulse to incorporate until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place cream, pistachios, hazelnuts, chocolate and peel into ricotta mixture and fold in till incorporated. Add raspberries and fold in.

Gently spoon ricotta mixture into sponge-lined bowl, pushing down to remove any air pockets. Top with round sponge and cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 8 hours or for up to 2 days.

When ready to serve remove plastic wrap from the top of the bowl. To remove Zuccotto from bowl take a large serving plate, or cake stand and flip bowl onto serving plate or cake stand. Remove plastic wrap.

Using a pastry brush, paint raspberry coulis onto Zucotto.

Raspberry Coulis

(makes 350ml)

INGREDIENTS

300g raspberries

100g castor sugar            

a little lemon juice

dash of berry liqueur, if you wish

METHOD

Thaw raspberries if frozen.  Into a food processor fitted with a plastic blade place raspberries and sugar, process until pulped. Strain through a stainless-steel strainer. Add lemon juice to taste. Add berry liqueur, if you wish. Do not over - process raspberries as this will cause the coulis to be less vibrant in colour.