Zuppette - pastry cream cake

Zuppette - The Delicious Square with Pastry Cream

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 35 minutes
Total time: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Servings: 8

Zuppette is a delicious cake that combines textures and flavors, bringing a touch of refinement to any dessert. This homemade recipe, featuring soft sponge cake, crispy puff pastry, and fine pastry cream, is perfect for impressing friends and family. Let's begin our culinary journey!

Ingredients:
For the sponge cake:
- 4 eggs
- 100 g sugar
- 100 g flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt

For the puff pastry:
- 250 g puff pastry sheets (preferably fresh, but frozen can also be used)

For the pastry cream:
- 500 ml milk
- 120 g sugar
- 4 egg yolks
- 50 g flour
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
- Zest of one lemon (optional)

For decoration:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Fresh fruits or chocolate sauce (optional, for added flavor)

Preparation method:

1. Preparing the sponge cake:
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C. Beat the eggs with the sugar and salt until the mixture becomes frothy and light in color. Add the flour and baking powder, gently mixing to avoid losing air. Pour the mixture into a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it cool.

2. Preparing the pastry cream:
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, vanilla sugar, and flour in a bowl. When the milk starts to boil, gradually pour it over the yolk mixture, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the heat and cook on low, stirring continuously, until the cream thickens. If you want a more intense flavor, add the lemon zest. Let the cream cool covered with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming.

3. Assembling the cake:
Once the sponge cake has completely cooled, cut it in half. Place one half on a platter, spread a generous layer of pastry cream, then cover with the other half of the sponge cake. On top, place the puff pastry sheets. You can decorate them with powdered sugar or lightly brown them in the oven for a golden and crispy appearance.

4. Serving:
Cut the cake into squares or triangles and serve with fresh fruits or a chocolate sauce for added elegance. Zuppette is ideal for a festive meal or simply to indulge yourself.

Useful tips:
- You can experiment by adding different flavors to the pastry cream, such as almond essence or cocoa for a different taste.
- Make sure the puff pastry sheets are well thawed and easy to handle for a perfect texture.
- If you want to save time, you can use store-bought pastry cream.

Zuppette is more than just a simple cake; it is a culinary experience that blends tradition with innovation, perfect for bringing a touch of joy to every moment spent in the kitchen. Enjoy every bite!

They are called zuppette, Venetian, American or cream. The name varies depending on the area, but the result is just as delicious from north to south. In the north, it is soaked with rum, while in the central-south it is soaked with alchermes, maraschino, and other strong and fragrant essences. It is an excellent and special cake because it consists of sponge cake, puff pastry, and pastry cream. Sponge cake: Beat the whole eggs with sugar for about 20 minutes (using a mixer or food processor) until they triple in volume. Sift the flour and gradually add it over the egg mixture, mixing always from top to bottom (be careful not to deflate the mixture). Bake at 180 degrees for 30 minutes without opening the oven door at any cost. Pastry cream: Put the milk in a saucepan with a stick and bring it to a boil. Remove it from heat and let it cool. Whisk the egg yolks with sugar until creamy, then gradually add the warm milk, mix well, and bring it back to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes until it thickens. Let it cool. Puff pastry: You need 2 packages of 250 gr. Take each sheet and roll it out so that it fits in the baking tray (it should be slightly larger than the tray because it will shrink during baking). Place it in the tray lined with baking paper, prick it, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake in the oven at 200 degrees for about 6-7 minutes until golden. Bake the second sheet in the same way (put plenty of sugar on top). Assembly: Wrap the tray in plastic wrap (which you will use to cover the cake) and place the first sheet of puff pastry. Add a layer of cream on top. Cut the sponge cake into slices and place them over the cream. Soak the sponge cake very well with a syrup made from 100-150 gr of water in which you can add sugar and any flavor you want: rum, vanilla, alchermes (which I don't know the name of in our country). Add more cream and the last sheet of puff pastry. Wrap with plastic wrap, put a weight on top of the cake, and refrigerate for a few hours. I put a wooden board on top and an A4 paper sheet. The Zuppette recipe was proposed by Laura_A on the recipes forum. Enjoy your meal!

 Ingredients: Sponge cake: 6 eggs, 150 g sugar, 150 g flour. Pastry cream: 4 egg yolks, 1/2 l milk, 30 g flour, 150 g sugar, vanilla (pod or essence), a pinch of salt. Puff pastry: 2 packages of 250g. Syrup: 100-150 g of water, sugar, flavors: rum, vanilla, alchermes (which I don't know how it's called here).

 Tags:  layered cake cake with cream homemade cookies sponge cake recipe