Some say this very Florentine dessert of Italian sponge encasing a sweet ricotta filling dates back to the sixteenth century and may have been created by multitasking Renaissance architect Bernardo Buontalenti, who the Florentines also like to credit as the inventor of gelato. To me what makes this so Florentine is its shape – the dome so reminiscent of the more famous dome atop the Duomo. When I see rows of these bright pink domes in pastry shop fridges, I can’t help but think of the comparison, but actually the dessert probably gets its name from its similarity to the little red caps worn by priests, which are nicknamed zuccotti.
The pink liqueur that characteristically stains a zuccotto is Alchermes. A Tuscan liqueur that was once touted as an elixir for longevity and used to revive weary spirits, it’s now only used in a number of traditional desserts for its colour.
Zuccotto is made in two different ways: it’s either frozen and served as a semifreddo (rather like an ice cream cake) or it’s simply refrigerated and served fresh. With this one recipe, you can do either and both have good results, but I prefer the latter.