Recipe: Zuppa Inglese (sponge cake with custard and strawberry filling)

Hi Judy,

This isn't a Cassata Cake, but it looks like what you're describing. Maybe you can give it a try.

Zuppa Inglese
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I have had completely different versions of this, so I don't claim it's the definitive one, but I love this one:

Sponge cake:

1 1/2 cups cornflour/cornstarch
1 1/8 cups caster/superfine sugar
6 x 60g (2 oz) or bigger eggs, separated
1 1/2 teaspoon2 vanilla essence
1 1/2 lightly rounded teaspoons baking powder

Sift together cornflour and baking powder. Add vanilla essence to egg yolks. Beat egg whites to a froth and gradually add sugar, still beating, until you get a stiff meringue. Fold in egg yolks and vanilla, then sifted dry ingredients. Pour into two greased, lined 10"/25cm springform tins and bake at 350F/180C until well risen and firm. Remove from tins to a rack immediately upon taking out of the oven or they will shrink.

When cool, cut each layer into two thinner layers and brush each layer with sherry (I use a spray bottle, it's easier :-) ).

Fill with cold custard (recipe follows) and sliced strawberries (you will need about 10 oz sliced strawberries plus some extras for decoration). Place a sherried cake layer into the (now clean) cake tin, spread with 1/3 of the custard and top with a layer of sliced strawberries. Repeat until you have used up all the cake layers. Chill several hours or overnight.

Custard:

1/2 cup cornflour/cornstarch
1/2 cup custard powder* (you may be able to get Bird's custard powder in the US; it's from England)
1/2 cup caster/superfine sugar
600ml/10 fl oz milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
300ml/ 5 fl oz cream
30g / 1 oz butter (not margarine)
2 egg yolks

Mix the dry ingredients together and blend in the milk until smooth and lump-free. Add the cream and vanilla and stir to combine. Stir over low heat until custard boils and thickens. Add butter and simmer 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and beat in egg yolks. Place in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. When cold, beat well. I cook mine in the microwave. *If you can't get custard powder, I would think you would get satisfactory results substituting cornstarch and an extra teaspoon of vanilla.

The next day, unmold the cake onto a serving plate and completely cover filled cake with sweetened whipped cream. You will need about 10 fl oz/600ml of cream plus sugar to taste. Pipe swirls on top of cake to decorate. Brush extra strawberries with warmed strawberry jam to glaze and place on top of cake to decorate.

Serves 10-12

Happy Baking,

Betsy
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