You can make zuppa inglese with all sorts of readymade cookies or cakes. Here it's made with colomba, Italy's traditional Easter cake. I love colomba's soft yeasty cake texture and fabulous buttery aroma. My favorite part is the top of the cake, which has a crisp, sweet almond crust. In Italy, the day after Easter is called Pasquetta, "Little Easter," or Il Lunedi dell'Angelo, "Angel's Monday." Italians traditionally go on a picnic that day, the first outdoor excursion since the start of winter. Dessert includes all the leftover Easter sweets like pastiera, colomba cake, or Easter eggs.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

　　16 ounces Colomba, preferably Bauli brand

　　1 lb frozen peaches

　　1 cup apricot or peach jam

　　1/2 cup sweet liqueur, such as limoncello, or apricot or peach juice

　　2 cups ricotta cheese

　　8 ounces mascarpone cheese

　　6 tablespoons sugar

　　Whipped cream

　　Chocolate Italian Easter eggs, broken into pieces

　　

Step 1

Cut the cake into 1/2-inch slices.

　　

Step 2

In a bowl, combine the peaches with the jam and liqueur and stir until the jam is liquidy.

　　

Step 3

In another bowl, beat the ricotta, mascarpone, and sugar until smooth and creamy. Fold in whipped cream to taste.

　　

Step 4

Line the bottom of a 2-quart (2-liter) glass bowl with cake pieces. Top with some of the peaches and their liquid. Spread with a layer of the whipped cream mixture and sprinkle with chocolate. Repeat the layers, ending with the whipped cream mixture on top and reserving some of the cake for garnish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

　　

Step 5

Garnish with more chocolate and diced pieces of cake just before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from Dolci: Italy's Sweets by Francine Segan, © 2013 Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams.