Venetian Zabaglione Cake

30 minutes - 35 minutes

Serves 8. Scroll down to see questions LIndsey has answered on this recipe

This recipe is from Delia's Cakes.

This is my adaptation of a cake still served in the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice.

You can eat it sipping a Bellini cocktail or with coffee at any time of day. But for me, lunch in the restaurant with this as a dessert has always been a sublime treat.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to separate eggs in our video. Just press the recipe image to play.

Got a question on Delia's recipes? Ask Lindsey

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Getting ahead with venitian zabaglione cake

Asked by: Jackie Poluck

I want to make a Venetian Zabaglione Cake for Boxing Day - how long in advance can I make it?

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, You can do this the day ahead, but I find it’s better if the decoration on the sides and the dusting of Icing sugar is done between a few hours and an hour before serving. Kind regards Lindsey

The Marsala in Venetian Zabaglione Cake

Asked by: mkm52purple

Which marsala is it best to use for the Venetian cake please, dry, semi dry or sweet? Thanks, Marilyn Burn

Answered by Lindsey: Hello Marilyn, We use Pellegrino sweet Marsala. Kind regards Lindsey

Making Delia's Venetian Zapaglione cake but a non alcoholic version

Asked by: SM

I would really love to try Delia's Venetian Zabaglione Cake but want to make it non alcoholic. What can I substitute for the Marsala and if I have to simply omit it, do any of the other quantities for the filling change? I don't want to be left short of filling!

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, This cake tastes absolutely amazing made with the Marsala so unless you cannot have alcohol it’s definitely worth a try. But if you can’t ……. You could do 230mls white grape juice and 1 ½ dessertspoons of vanilla extract. Or perhaps there is another flavour that you like? As long as you make it up to 250mls liquid. Perhaps … make up your favorite cordial, elderflower might be nice. Or you could make up a very lightly sweetened sugar syrup and flavour that with something – like orange zest and cinnamon or lemon zest. Or make up you favorite fruit tea. Or you could replace the liquid with coconut milk and add a layer of shredded coconut and sprinkle more over the finished cake. Kind regards Lindsey

Method

Begin by making the zabaglione filling.

For this you need to take a medium-sized bowl and in it beat the egg yolks for 1 minute with an electric hand whisk, then add the sugar and whisk again until the mixture turns thick and pale – about 3 minutes. After that, add a tablespoon of flour at a time and continue whisking till everything is smooth and creamy, then gradually whisk in the Marsala.

Next transfer the mixture to a medium-sized saucepan and place it over a medium heat, then take a wooden spoon and keep stirring the mixture until it has thickened and is just about to come to simmering point. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Don’t worry if it overheats and begins to separate, just remove it from the heat and keep whisking until it is smooth again. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover the surface of the mixture with clingfilm to stop a skin forming and leave it to get completely cold. Then pop it in the fridge till needed.

To make the cake, begin by pre-heating the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3.

Then sift the flour and baking powder into a large roomy bowl, lifting the sieve high to give the flour an airing. Now just add all the other ingredients (apart from the icing sugar) and, using the electric hand whisk, whisk for about one minute until you have a smooth creamy mixture that drops off a spoon easily. Next, transfer the mixture into the tin, levelling it with the back of a spoon, and bake near the centre of the oven for 30–35 minutes or until the centre feels springy. Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes before loosening the edge by sliding a palette knife all round and turning it out onto a cooling rack. Now peel off the base, place another rack on top and flip it back over, then let it get quite cold.

To serve the cake, first whisk the zabaglione mixture to loosen it, then in a large bowl whisk the cream till stiff and fold in the zabaglione. Next you need to place the cake on a flat surface and, using a serrated palette knife, carefully slice it horizontally into two thin halves. Keep aside 2–3 heaped tablespoons of the zabaglione to decorate the sides, then spread the rest over one half of the cake and place the other half on top, pressing it down gently.

Now carefully transfer the cake to a serving plate. Brush away any loose crumbs then, using a small palette knife, spread the rest of the filling all around the sides of the cake, and use the palette knife to make a vertical pattern, sliding the knife upwards from the base. Finally, dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.

If you want to make this ahead of time, cover the cake with an upturned bowl and keep in the fridge (but remove it 30 minutes before serving).

Ingredients

115g self-raising flour

½ level teaspoon baking powder

2 large eggs

115g spreadable butter

115g golden caster sugar

½ level teaspoon vanilla extract

little icing sugar

For the filling:

3 large egg yolks

75g golden caster sugar

40g plain flour, sifted

250ml Marsala

340ml double cream

Equipment

You will need a Delia Online 20cm Round Sponge Tin (4cm deep) or similar, greased and base lined plus two wire cooling trays

The Delia Online bakeware range is now available online, and you can buy our 20cm Round Sponge Tin with loose base and washable and reusable liner direct from Silverwood.

Click here for the tin
Click here for the liner