Layered Chocolate-Zabaglione Cream Cakes

A frothy delight, Zabaglione is one of Italy's most prized desserts. Here it crowns a springy chocolate sponge cake; another time, try it simply spooned over sliced fruits.

Layered Chocolate-Zabaglione Cream Cakes
Prep Time:
1 hrs
Bake Time:
18 mins
Stand Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs
Servings:
12

Ingredients

  • ½ cup unsalted butter

  • 3 ounce bittersweet chocolate

  • 6 eggs

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoon vanilla

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 cup sifted cake flour

  • White Chocolate Cream Frosting (see recipe below)

  • White Chocolate Zabaglione Sauce (see recipe below)

  • Fresh berries (optional)

  • White and/or bittersweet chocolate curls or shavings (optional)

White Chocolate Cream Frosting

  • ¾ cup whipping cream

  • ¼ cup powdered sugar

  • 1 tablespoon white chocolate liqueur or clear creme de cacao

White Chocolate Zabaglione Sauce

  • 4 egg yolks

  • ¼ cup white chocolate liqueur or clear creme de cacao

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • Dash salt

  • ½ cup whipping cream

Directions

  1. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper or waxed paper; grease paper. Set aside. In a small saucepan combine butter and bittersweet chocolate. Heat and stir over low heat until melted; set aside to cool. Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon; beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 10 minutes. Sift about one-third of the flour over egg mixture. Gently fold in flour. Repeat sifting and folding in one-third of the flour at a time. Gently fold in melted chocolate mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan.

  3. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and peel off paper. Cool cake completely on a wire rack. Cut cake into 24 squares or 2- to 2-1/4-inch circles.

  4. Just before serving, place a cake square or circle on each of 12 dessert plates. On each cake square or circle, spread about 3 tablespoons White Chocolate Cream Frosting. Top each with a second cake square or circle. Spoon White Chocolate Zabaglione Sauce over cakes, allowing some to flow down sides. If desired, garnish with fresh berries and chocolate curls. Makes 12 servings.

White Chocolate Cream Frosting

  1. In a large mixing bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar, and white chocolate liqueur or clear creme de cacao on high speed of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Use immediately.

White Chocolate Zabaglione Sauce

  1. In the top of a double boiler, beat 4 egg yolks with 1/4 cup white chocolate liqueur or clear creme de cacao, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and dash salt. Place over boiling water (upper pan shouldn't touch the water). Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until mixture nearly triples in volume and temperature of mixture reaches 145 degree F and maintains that temperature for 3-1/2 minutes (about 15 minutes total). Remove from heat. Place pan in a larger bowl of ice water and continue beating until zabaglione has cooled. In a small bowl, beat 1/2 cup whipping cream on medium speed of an electric mixer until soft peaks form (tips curl). By hand, fold about one-fourth of the whipped cream into zabaglione to lighten; fold in remaining whipped cream.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

389 Calories
24g Fat
37g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 12
Calories 389
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 230mg 77%
Sodium 61mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 13%
Protein 6g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.