Zuppa Inglese Recipe: How to Make an Italian Trifle
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Apr 12, 2022 • 4 min read
This eye-catching Italian dessert, which features layers of ladyfingers soaked with a bright red herbaceous liqueur offset by a duo of pastry creams, will be your new favorite crowd-friendly conclusion to any Italian feast. Learn how to make Zuppa Inglese at home with this classic recipe.
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What Is Zuppa Inglese?
Zuppa Inglese is a decadent trifle dessert consisting of layers of velvety vanilla and chocolate pastry cream (crema pasticcera) and airy ladyfinger cookies soaked in a specialty Italian liqueur called alchermes. This cousin of tiramisu is also similar to a traditional English trifle. (Its name, after all, translates to “English soup.”)
This trifle’s distinct color and flavor comes from alchermes, a potent, sweet, and spicy aromatic herb liqueur recognizable by its bright red tone.
Origin of Zuppa Inglese
Multiple origin stories surround the invention of Zuppa Inglese. Some believe the Italian dessert dates back to mid-sixteenth-century Ferrara in Emilia-Romagna, created by the Dukes of Este. Others believe the dessert originated in Naples, as it made an appearance at a banquet held by King Ferdinand IV of Naples in the late 1700s in honor of a distinguished English guest. Still, others trace the dish back to the coastal Le Marche region of Italy.
Another origin story ties the dish to nineteenth-century Florence, Tuscany. A housekeeper frequently threw together a sweet “soup” consisting of creamy custard, chocolate pudding, and leftover biscuits softened with sweet wine.
These origin stories suggest Zuppa Inglese comes from Italy, not England. So, where did the name “English soup” come from? The “ingelese” portion may refer to crème anglaise, a classic French custard. And “Zuppa” may not have to do with soup; the word likely derived from “inzuppare,” which means “to sop” or “to dunk.”
4 Tips for Making Zuppa Inglese
Home cooks of all levels can craft this classic Italian trifle with ease. Use these tips to guide you:
- 1. Change up the base. While store-bought ladyfingers are an excellent shortcut for this cake, try sliced homemade pound cake or pan di spagna (Italian sponge cake) for a delicious alternative.
- 2. Make your own liqueur. If you’re having difficulty finding alchermes at your local liquor store, concoct your batch by infusing vodka with cinnamon sticks, orange peel, nutmeg, vanilla bean, coriander, and cardamom for at least two weeks. Combine the infused vodka with an equal portion of simple syrup, a little red food coloring, and a tablespoon of rose water. If you don’t want to make alchermes, some tasty alternatives include rum, cognac, amaretto, and other aromatic Italian liqueurs, like Strega.
- 3. Give it time to rest. While it may be tempting to dig into this trifle the second it’s assembled, Zuppa Inglese needs time for all of the flavors to come together. Wait a few hours before serving—the longer you wait, the stronger the flavor will be, and the ladyfingers will continue to soften as the dish rests. Allow the trifle to come to room temperature an hour before serving.
- 4. Experiment with toppings. Turn this simple dessert into a show-stopping affair with the addition of toppings like sour cherries, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and shaved chocolate.
Traditional Zuppa Inglese Recipe
makes
prep time
45 mintotal time
1 hrcook time
15 minIngredients
For the pastry cream:
To assemble:
Note: The total time does not include up to 4 hours of inactive time.
- 1
Make the pastry cream. In a large pot over medium heat, bring the milk and half of the sugar to a boil, slowly stirring to prevent the mixture from burning on the bottom of the pot.
- 2
In a bowl, whisk together the other half of the sugar with the egg yolks. Stir in the cornstarch until smooth, then slowly whisk in a ½ cup of the warm milk and sugar mixture, stirring until evenly combined.
- 3
While stirring, pour the egg mixture back into the pot of milk. On low to medium heat, while stirring constantly, heat the mixture until it noticeably thickens, about 5 minutes.
- 4
Remove the custard from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally. Add in the cubed butter and whisk until evenly combined.
- 5
Divide the hot pastry cream between 2 bowls. Add the melted dark chocolate to 1 bowl and stir until the chocolate incorporates into the cream.
- 6
Cover each bowl with plastic wrap pressed up against the surface of the pastry cream to prevent skin from forming. Transfer the pastry creams to the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight.
- 7
Assemble the Zuppa Inglese. In a glass trifle dish, large glass bowl, or casserole dish, add some pastry cream and spread it out into a single layer.
- 8
Place a layer of ladyfingers over the pastry cream, and drizzle a few tablespoons of the liqueur over the cookies.
- 9
Top the ladyfingers with a layer of chocolate cream, followed by another layer of vanilla pastry cream.
- 10
Repeat this process a few times with the remaining ladyfingers, liqueur, and pastry creams until you’ve reached the top of the dish, ending with a top layer of vanilla cream.
- 11
Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the top of the trifle with cocoa powder.
- 12
Cover the trifle dish with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 2–3 hours or overnight.
- 13
Before serving, let the Zuppa Inglese come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Scoop the Zuppa Inglese into individual serving bowls and top with a drizzle of additional liqueur, if desired.
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