Mini Zuccotto with Coffee Frosting and Meringue

Name: Mini Zuccotto with Coffee Frosting and Meringue
Yield: Serves 8 servings
Ingredients: 4 large eggs; 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (90 grams); 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (100 grams); 1 cup cold heavy cream (220 ml); 2 teaspoons instant coffee powder (6 grams); 1 cup cold mascarpone cheese (250 grams); 1/2 cup powdered sugar (60 grams); 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee (350 ml); 1 tablespoon rum liqueur; 1 tablespoon powdered sugar; 1/2 cup heavy cream (120 ml; you can use sweetened non-dairy whipped topping if preferred); 2 tablespoons powdered sugar; as needed Crumbled meringues,

Laura Cicutto @ConLaura

Cavallino (VE)

This dessert recipe is simple in its ingredients, easy to make, and elegant in presentation. It's a delicious semifreddo, perfect for finishing off holiday lunches or dinners, or simply to end a good meal with friends.
To make this dessert, you'll need silicone half-sphere molds to create beautiful and tasty mini zuccotto. The preparation is very straightforward, especially the filling, which is a coffee cream frosting made with mascarpone, whipped cream, and instant coffee—super simple. The outer shell is made from a sponge cake (pasta biscuit), also easy to prepare, and brushed with coffee. For the outer coating, you'll just need whipped cream and crumbled meringues. I hope I've convinced you that making this dessert is not complicated at all. If you have any doubts, just follow the step-by-step photos in the tutorial (if available), and you'll definitely get a result that will impress everyone. Good luck!

Laura Cicutto @ConLaura

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Ingredients

Serves 8 servings

For the sponge cake (pasta biscuit)
4large eggs
1/2 cupplus 1 tablespoon sugar (90 grams)
3/4 cupplus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (100 grams)
For the coffee frosting filling
1 cupcold heavy cream (220 ml)
2 teaspoonsinstant coffee powder (6 grams)
1 cupcold mascarpone cheese (250 grams)
1/2 cuppowdered sugar (60 grams)
For the coffee soak
1 1/2 cupsbrewed coffee (350 ml)
1 tablespoonrum liqueur
1 tablespoonpowdered sugar
For the topping
1/2 cupheavy cream (120 ml; you can use sweetened non-dairy whipped topping if preferred)
2 tablespoonspowdered sugar
For decoration
as neededCrumbled meringues,

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Steps

1

To make the sponge cake, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer or stand mixer for at least 20 minutes, until the mixture triples in volume and becomes light and fluffy.
2

Gradually fold in the sifted flour using a spatula, mixing gently from bottom to top to avoid deflating the batter.
3

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (for best results, dampen and wring out the parchment so it sticks well to the pan), then pour in the batter and spread it evenly.
4

Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 8–10 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick and adjust baking time as needed for your oven.
5

Once baked, immediately remove the sponge cake from the pan by gently flipping it onto a clean sheet of parchment paper. Carefully peel off the baking parchment and let the cake cool, covering it completely with plastic wrap.
6

Meanwhile, line the inside of 8 silicone half-sphere molds (about 2 3/4 inches or 7 cm in diameter) with plastic wrap.
7

Prepare the coffee soak by mixing the hot coffee with the powdered sugar and rum. Let it cool.
8

Start making the coffee frosting filling. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 ml) of the cream (taken from the total amount) with the instant coffee, stirring until dissolved. Let cool.
9

Whip the remaining 7/8 cup (200 ml) cream with the mascarpone. When the mixture starts to thicken, add the powdered sugar and continue whipping.
10

Add the cooled coffee-cream mixture to the whipped mascarpone and cream, and continue whipping until you have a thick, smooth frosting.
11

Cut the sponge cake into 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) wide strips. Use these strips to line the bottom and sides of the half-sphere molds, trimming as needed to fit the circular shape and create a shell for the mini zuccotto.
12

From the remaining sponge cake, cut out discs to use as lids for the mini zuccotto. If you don't have a cutter the right size, you can use a cup as a guide.
13

Brush the inside of the sponge cake shells in the molds evenly with the coffee soak.
14

Fill the cavity of each mini zuccotto with the coffee frosting, then cover with a sponge cake disc, brushing the disc with coffee soak before sealing so the soaked side faces inward.
15

Cover everything with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
16

Whip the cream for the topping. You can use sweetened non-dairy whipped topping if you prefer.
17

Unmold each mini zuccotto onto a small plate. Pipe the whipped cream around each one in a spiral using a piping bag without a tip, then use a spatula to spread the cream evenly.
18

Crumble the meringues and use them to cover each mini zuccotto completely.
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