Recipe: Zuppa Inglese

Zuppa Inglese
(English Soup)

1 recipe pan di spagna (see recipe this page)
1-1/2 jigger rum
1-1/2 jigger creme de cacao
1 recipe pasticciera cream (cooled)
(See recipe below this one)
1 tbsp candied fruit (finely cut)
3 egg whites
4 tbsp sugar

Cut the sponge cake into 1/2 inch slices. Sprinkle half with rum and the other half with the creme de cacao. Spread the bottom of a 10 inch baking dish with a little of the pasticciera cream and place on it two layers of rum soaked cake. Pour pasticciera cream over cake and sprinkle with candied fruit. Cover cream with two layers of creme de cacao soaked cake. Beat egg whites till stiff, add sugar and beat again. Pile egg whites onto cake and bake at 300 for 20 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Pasticciera Cream

3 tbsp sugar
3 egg yolks
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
1 tbsp butter

Put sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind and vanilla in a saucepan and mix well. Scald the milk and pour over mixture, beating constantly with electric hand mixer. Continue cooking on low heat stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture reaches the boiling state. Continue to cook another 4 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add butter and mix well. Pour into a bowl and let cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming over top of cream.
Serves 4.