Zuppa Inglese

Zuppa Inglese

Zuppa Inglese, (in Italian, "English soup") is a custard-based dessert.

It is possibly Italian in origin, but may also be derived from the trifle or tipsy cake, popular British desserts. To make Zuppa Inglese, layers of pan di spagna (sponge cake) or (less frequently) delicate biscuits such as savoiardi (ladyfingers); they are dipped in Alchermes, a light, bright red, extremely aromatic Florentine liqueur, then covered in crema pasticciera (rather thick vanilla custard, cooked with a large piece of the lemon zest (removed afterwards). The cake can also have layers of crema alla cioccolata (which is crema pasticciera where the lemon zest is replaced by bitter cocoa powder) which alternate with those of crema pasticciera; usually the sponge cake under the chocolate custard should be soaked with vermouth, not Alchermes. The cake can be ultimately covered with whipped cream and crushed almonds.

Zuppa inglese can be home-made or bought in pasticcerie (cake shops), and is a favorite cake for children's birthday parties. It is also a popular Gelato flavor.

There are several theories as to the origin of the name. Food Timeline has listed three of them at [1]:

"The name translates literally in Italian as English soup and may in fact connote its similarity to English trifle. Others believe it is a dialectical corruption of the verb inzuppare, meaning to sop." — Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink, John Mariani [Broadway Books:New York] 1998 (p. 286)

"A dessert invented by Neapolitan pastrycooks of Europe during the 19th century [sic]. Inspired by English puddings that were fashionalbe [sic] at the time, . . . " — Larousse Gastronomique, Completely Updated and Revised [Clarkson Potter:New York] 2001 (p. 1310)

"A dukedom, a country palace, and this rich dessert were among the many tributes bestowed on Lord Nelson by the grateful Neapolitans after his victory over Napoleon in the Nile in 1798. "English Soup," as it was called, was the creation of an anonymous pastry cook smitten with the admiral, the English, and their spirit-soaked Trifles." — The Horizon Cookbook and Illustrated History of Eating and Drinking through the Ages, American Heritage [Doubleday:New York] 1968 (p. 710)

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