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Bring joy to your Christmas table with Italian Christmas zuccotto cake. This festive dome layers pound cake, amaretto, chocolate mousse, and mascarpone cream for a showy centerpiece that’s surprisingly simple. The striped shell looks intricate yet the method is easy to follow, and the sprinkles add a playful finish without extra work. Fold airy whipped cream into melted chocolate, whip mascarpone until cloud-light, and tuck it all inside a cake-lined bowl to make this holiday classic.
Italian Christmas zuccotto cake layers amaretto soaked pound cake, chocolate mousse and mascarpone cream. The dome looks stunning and tastes rich.
You may also like 3D Christmas tree cookies, Santa hat cocktails, mulled wine Fireball shots, and these cute Christmas tree pop tarts.
Why You’ll Love It
Showstopper look: The domed stripes cut into gorgeous slices.
Make-ahead friendly: Chill sets the shape and boosts flavor.
Texture contrast: Soft cake meets airy mousse and silky cream.
Simple method: No special pans and no tricky techniques required.
Zuccotto Cake Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pound cake: Ready-made loaf forms clean stripes and soaks up amaretto.
Amaretto: Almond liqueur that adds aroma and a gentle warmth. If you love almonds, I bet you’ll love these amaretti cookies too!
Dark chocolate chips: Quick-melting base for an easy mousse.
Heavy whipping cream: Whips to soft and stiff peaks for lift.
Dark chocolate bar: Shaved and grated for texture and finish.
Mascarpone cheese: Rich, smooth body for the whipped filling.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens the creams without grit and blends fast.
Christmas colored sprinkles: Festive pops of color in the cream and on top.
Unsweetened cocoa powder: Fine dusting that deepens chocolate notes.
How to Make Italian Zuccotto Cake
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Line the bowl: Wrap the bowl with plastic and line tightly with cake triangles.
Brush the cake: Lightly brush the lined shell with amaretto.
Make chocolate mousse: Melt chips, cool slightly, fold in whipped cream, and add shaved chocolate.
Fill layer one: Spread mousse over the cake shell and chill briefly.
Make mascarpone cream: Whip cream and sugar, whip mascarpone with sugar and amaretto, combine to stiff peaks.
Reserve and fold: Save a small portion for piping and gently fold sprinkles into the rest.
Fill the dome: Spoon mascarpone cream into the bowl to near the top.
Close the base: Cap with remaining cake triangles and brush with amaretto.
Chill to set: Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Unmold and finish: Invert to unmold and remove any remaining plastic wrap.
Finishing touches: Dust with cocoa, pipe cream, and add shaved chocolate and sprinkles.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: Use a gluten-free pound cake and confirm sprinkles are gluten-free.
Swap the liqueur: Try coffee liqueur or orange liqueur for a different note.
Alcohol-free: Brush cake with cooled espresso or almond syrup.
Chocolate twist: Use half milk chocolate and half dark for a softer profile.
Citrus lift: Add fine orange zest to the mascarpone cream for brightness.
Serving Suggestions
With savory bites: Enjoy Christmas tree puff pastry appetizers, Christmas tree themed antipasto and perhaps a reindeer cheese ball too.
With a drink: Enjoy a gingerbread latte rum cocktail or cranberry orange prosecco with your slice of zuccotto cake.
How to Store Italian Zuccotto Cake
Store: Cover the cake and keep it refrigerated. It should keep for 3 to 4 days.
Freeze: You can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Defrost the cake in the refrigerator overnight.
Top Tips
Pack the shell: Fit cake pieces snugly so the filling can’t leak.
Cool the chocolate: Warm is fine, hot will deflate the whipped cream.
Whip wisely: Stop at stiff peaks so the dome holds a clean slice.
Gentle folds: Use light strokes so creams stay airy and smooth.
Chill fully: Proper set time makes unmolding clean and stress-free.
Easy Italian Christmas Zuccotto Cake FAQs
Either use a metal or glass bowl to make it or invest in a zuccotto mold because you’ll definitely want to make this creamy Italian dessert more than once.
The Italian word for pumpkin, zucca, is behind the name of this tasty cake. Zuccotto is Italian for “little pumpkin” because this cake is made with triangular pieces of cake and resembles a pumpkin. Not only does zucca mean pumpkin in Italy but also “head” in Tuscany and the first zuccotto cakes were made in dome-shaped helmets.
Easy Italian Christmas Zuccotto Cake Recipe
Italian Christmas Zuccotto Cake
Equipment
- Microplane or Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 1 Loaf pound cake, 16-Ounce
- ⅓ Cup amaretto liqueur
- 5 Ounces dark chocolate chips
- 2 ½ Cups heavy whipping cream
- 4 Ounces dark chocolate bar
- 8 Ounces mascarpone cheese
- ½ Cup icing sugar
- 2 Tablespoons sprinkles, Christmas colored, plus more to decorate
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Slice the pound cake into ⅓ to ½-inch slices, then cut each piece in half diagonally from corner to corner to create long triangles.
- Fully line the inside of a zuccotto mold or 1 ½ or 2-quart bowl with plastic wrap. Then line the plastic wrap lined bowl with the triangles of pound cake in any design you would like, just be sure to place the pieces tightly together to avoid any gaps. You should have some leftover pieces, you will use these later.
- Lightly brush the pound cake that is lining the bowl with amaretto.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate chips. Set aside to cool down for a few minutes.
- While the chocolate is cooling, whip 1 cup of the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
- When the chocolate is cool, but still melted, fold ½ of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate. Once it is mostly combined, add the remaining whipped cream and continue to gently fold until combined.
- Grate or shave ¾ of the dark chocolate bar into the chocolate mousse mixture, and fold to combine.
- Spread the chocolate mousse to cover the pound cake lining the bowl, set in the fridge while you work on the next filling.
- Whip the remaining 1 ½ cups of heavy cream with ¼ cup of the powdered sugar to very soft peaks. Set aside.
- Whip the mascarpone cheese with the remaining ¼ cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of the amaretto.
- Add the whipped cream to the mascarpone and whip until you achieve stiff peaks.
- Reserve about ½ to ¾ cup of the mascarpone whipped cream to use for decorating later.
- Fold 2 tablespoons of christmas sprinkles into the mascarpone whipped cream, be very gentle and do not over-mix. This is to prevent the sprinkles from bleeding their color too much.
- Take the cake out of the fridge and fill to almost the top with the mascarpone whipped cream.
- Use the remaining triangles of pound cake to cover the top of the cream all the way to the edges, closing the filling in. Then brush the top of the pound cake with amaretto.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and invert the cake onto a serving platter. Remove the bowl and any remaining plastic wrap carefully.
- Lightly sift the cocoa powder all over the exterior of the cake.
- Pipe the remaining mascarpone whipped cream in the circle around the top of the cake dome.
- Shave the remaining chocolate bar and fill the inside of the whipped cream circle with the chocolate shavings.
- Sprinkle the whipped cream with more Christmas sprinkles.
Notes
Cool the chocolate: Warm is fine, hot will deflate the whipped cream.
Whip wisely: Stop at stiff peaks so the dome holds a clean slice.
Gentle folds: Use light strokes so creams stay airy and smooth.
Chill fully: Proper set time makes unmolding clean and stress-free.
Nutrition
The best zuccotti recipe by far, this dome brings a pretty, delicious treat to the Christmas table. Almond kissed cake, airy chocolate and velvety mascarpone stack into clean slices that feel special and taste rich. The striping is clever, the method is straightforward and the finish is festive without much effort required. It’s one of the best easy Italian Christmas desserts if you’re looking for a something easy that can be prepared ahead.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Loved this recipe. I will be making it again for sure! 🙂
The flavor is amazing in this cake
This is one of my favorite desserts. i haven’t had in forever.