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Zuppa inglese (literally “English soup”)—Italy’s elegant spin on the classic English trifle—is a layered masterpiece that blends tradition with indulgence. Hailing from Parma, this dreamy dessert pairs luscious vanilla and chocolate pastry creams with liqueur-soaked ladyfingers and a hint of citrus. It’s rich, velvety, and just a little boozy—in the best way. Whether you’re hosting guests or just craving something special, zuppa inglese brings a perfect mix of comfort and class to the table.
Zuppa inglese is a make-ahead dessert with chocolate, ladyfingers, Alchermes liqueur, and a gentle kiss of both citrus and vanilla. It’s rich, creamy and luxurious.
Italian food fans with a sweet tooth might also enjoy chocolate tiramisu, maritozzi cream buns, pistachio biscotti, and lemon mascarpone cake.
Why You’ll Love It
Effortless elegance: Looks and tastes impressive, but comes together with simple steps.
Incredible flavors: If you take a bite of this dessert with your eyes closed, you could imagine yourself on a vacation in Italy! The chocolate, vanilla, fruity liqueur soaked ladyfingers, and lemon are just fantastic together.
Make-ahead magic: Perfect for preparing in advance—just chill and serve when ready. This makes it ideal for dinner parties and holidays.
Customizable layers: Easily adaptable with different liqueurs, cookies or flavor variations to suit your taste or pantry.
Simple to prepare: There’s nothing difficult about making this deliciously creamy Italian trifle recipe, even if you rarely make desserts at home. The active prep time is just half an hour too.
Zuppa Inglese Dessert Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Whole milk: This recipe uses whole milk to create a creamy, rich base for the pastry creams.
Lemon peel: A strip of lemon peel adds a subtle brightness to the pastry cream.
Egg yolks: This recipe uses egg yolks to thicken the pastry cream, giving it its signature silky texture.
Granulated sugar: Balances the richness of the custard with sweetness.
All-purpose flour: Plain flour thickens the pastry cream.
Vanilla extract: Enhances the base flavor of the pastry cream. Avoid imitation vanilla—it doesn’t taste the same.
Dark chocolate: For the chocolate layer. Use real chocolate bars, not chocolate chips or candy melts.
Alchermes liqueur: This is a unique scarlet color liqueur made by infusing neutral spirits with cloves, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. It gives the dessert its signature color and subtle floral flavor (buy it here!)
Purified water: Used to dilute the liqueur so the cookies absorb it evenly without being overpowered.
Italian ladyfingers: Soaked just enough to be soft but structured, they bring texture and hold all that luscious cream together in each layered spoonful. I recommend the Savoiardi brand.
How to Make Italian Trifle
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the cream: Warm the milk with lemon peel in a saucepan over a medium low heat, then whisk with egg yolks, sugar and flour. Cook the egg mixture until thick, without letting it simmer, and stir in vanilla.
Divide and flavor: Split the cream into two bowls and stir chocolate into one half. Chill both until set.
Dip the cookies: Working quickly, dip ladyfingers in an Alchermes and water mixture in a medium bowl.
Layer the dessert: Alternate layers of chocolate whipped cream, Savoiardi dipped in liqueur, and vanilla pastry cream in serving dishes.
Chill and serve: Refrigerate for 2 hours, then top with chocolate shavings and serve chilled.
Substitutions and Variations
Alchermes liqueur: If you can’t find Alchermes, just substitute raspberry liqueur, cherry liqueur, or amaretto mixed with pomegranate juice.
Non-alcoholic: For a non-alcoholic version, use cherry, cranberry or pomegranate juice plus a small pinch of ground cinnamon.
Milk: Use 2% milk instead, or swap whole milk with oat or almond milk for a dairy-free option.
Gluten-free: Use corn starch instead of flour for a smoother, gluten-free custard, and use gluten-free ladyfingers or similar.
Ladyfingers: Try sponge cake slices (pan di Spagna) or vanilla wafers if you can’t find these.
Chocolate: Use milk chocolate or white chocolate in the chocolate cream for a different flavor profile.
Chocolate curls: Garnish with fresh berries or a dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of chocolate curls. Or try chopped chocolate if preferred.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizers: Begin your Italian meal with an antipasto platter or enjoy some marinated mozzarella balls and homemade mushroom focaccia with extra-virgin olive oil for dipping.
Main dishes: Serve and enjoy some delicious riso al forno or juicy eggplant lasagna.
Dessert: Finish off with this delicious Italian trifle and perhaps a glass of homemade limoncello liqueur.
How to Store Italian Trifle
Store: When it comes to storage zuppa inglese stays fresh for days. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, either keeping it in individual containers or a tightly wrapped trifle dish.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing—it will spoil the texture of the pastry cream.
Top Tips
Perfect custard: To tell if your custard cream is ready to be removed from the heat, dip a clean wooden spoon into the custard. Run your finger across the back of the spoon—if it leaves a clear line and the custard doesn’t run, it’s ready. The texture should be thickened but still pourable, like a loose pudding.
Chocolate curls: To create your own delicate chocolate shavings, use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. Hold the chocolate bar at room temperature and gently scrape along the edge to produce curls or shavings. For larger curls, slightly warm the chocolate bar before shaving.
Prevent lumpy cream: Ensure continuous stirring of the pastry cream to prevent lumps and achieve a smooth texture. If lumps form, pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve before it cools.
Zuppa Inglese FAQs
You can make the pastry creams 1 to 2 days in advance and store them in the fridge. Assemble the dessert the day before serving so the layers meld beautifully overnight.
While individual servings offer an elegant presentation, you can also assemble the zuppa inglese in a large trifle bowl (perhaps this one!) for a shareable dessert. So, just take your pick, as either way works!
Zuppa Inglese Dessert Recipe
Zuppa Inglese
Equipment
- Saucepan Medium
- Electric Mixer with Whisk Attachment
- Trifle Dish or Individual Serving Dishes
- Peeler or Sharp Knife
Ingredients
- 3 Cups whole milk
- 1 Strip lemon peel
- 6 egg yolks, large
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ Cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract, pure
- 2 Ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- ¾ Cup Alchermes liqueur
- ¼ Cup purified water
- 8 ladyfingers, Savoiardi
To Garnish:
- dark chocolate shavings
Instructions
Make the Custard:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and lemon peel.
- Heat the mixture over a medium heat until you see small bubbles forming around the edges and a bit of steam rising, then remove it from the heat and discard the lemon peel—don’t let it come to a full simmer at any time.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thickened.
- Slowly add the sifted flour while whisking the egg and sugar mixture—this helps keep it smooth and lump-free.
- Once the flour is mixed in, add the warm milk mixture a little at a time, whisking the whole way through so everything blends together nicely.
- Return the combined mixture to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the cream thickens to a custard-like consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Divide the pastry cream equally between 2 bowls.
- In one bowl, add the chopped dark chocolate and stir until fully melted and incorporated, creating the chocolate pastry cream.
- Cover both bowls with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the creams to prevent a skin from forming.
- Allow them to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
Dip the Ladyfingers:
- In a shallow bowl, mix the Alchermes liqueur with the water.
- Briefly dip each Savoiardi lady finger into the liqueur mixture, ensuring they are moistened but not overly soaked.
Assemble the Dessert:
- Spoon a layer of chocolate cream into each serving glass or a large trifle dish.
- Stack 2 halves of the soaked ladyfingers for the next layer.
- Spoon a layer of vanilla pastry cream over that and then repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of vanilla pastry cream on top.
Chill the Zuppa Inglese:
- Cover the dessert with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve chilled, garnishing with dark chocolate shavings.
Notes
Chocolate curls: To create your own delicate chocolate shavings, use a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. Hold the chocolate bar at room temperature and gently scrape along the edge to produce curls or shavings. For larger curls, slightly warm the chocolate bar before shaving.
Prevent lumpy cream: Ensure continuous stirring of the pastry cream to prevent lumps and achieve a smooth texture. If lumps form, pass the cream through a fine-mesh sieve before it cools.
Nutrition
Each spoonful of zuppa inglese Italian trifle is a little moment of magic—cool, creamy and kissed with just the right touch of liqueur and chocolate. This zuppa inglese recipe is a dessert that feels both nostalgic and refined, making it perfect for impressing guests or savoring slowly on a quiet night in. It’s a little like tiramisu and a little like English trifle, combining both fruit and chocolate flavors. Garnish with a few dark chocolate shavings, and you’ve got yourself a sweet finale that’s sure to be remembered. Make this decadent dessert just once and you might have a new favorite for life!
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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.
It was pure luxury in a bowl. The mix of the creamy layers and soaked ladyfingers with that hint of citrus was unforgettable. It felt like a dessert you’d get at a beautiful Italian restaurant.
Every bite feels luxurious. It’s like a trifle, but elevated and way more indulgent. Definitely making this again for the next dinner party (or just a really good weekend).