There's still time left for Zuccoto Summer Pudding from Say it with Cake (Kyle Books USA, August 2013) by Edd Kimber, a self taught British baker.
Edd was the winner of BBC2's The Great British Bake Off in 2010.
Zuccotto Summer Pudding
Summer
pudding is a stalwart of British cooking. Normally made with stale
bread, it is a classic that is very easy to put together. My version
crosses the British classic with an Italian classic, zuccotto, which
is similar in presentation except that it is a cake filled with a
cream or ice cream mixture. My dessert combines the best of both
worlds.
2
tbsp unsalted
butter,
melted and cooled, plus extra butter for greasing
4
large eggs
1/2
cup superfine
sugar
3/4
cup all-purpose
flour
heavy
cream,
to serve (optional)
For
the fruit filling
11/4lb
summer
fruits (such
as strawberries,
raspberries,
blueberries,
redcurrants,
blackberries,
and
cherries)
⅔ cup
superfine
sugar
2
tbsp crème
de cassis
For
the cream filling
1
cup heavy
cream
1
tbsp confectioners’
sugar
1
tsp vanilla
bean paste
Serves
8–10
Preheat the oven to 350°F, then line a 10 °— 15in high-sided
baking sheet with parchment paper, greasing the parchment too. Put
the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently
simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch
the water. Whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the
mixture is just warm to the touch.
Remove from the heat and, using an electric mixer, beat for 5 minutes
on high speed, then reduce the speed to medium and beat for another 3
minutes. By this stage the mixture should have tripled in volume, and
when the beaters are lifted from the bowl they should form a slowly
dissolving ribbon.
Sift in the flour and gently fold together making sure all the
ingredients are combined but trying to keep as much volume as
possible. Take a large spoonful of the batter and add to the melted
butter, then mix together (this will lighten the butter and help to
incorporate it into the batter). Gently fold this into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and very gently level out. Bake
for 15 minutes or until the cake is risen; a skewer inserted into the
center of the cake should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10
minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the filling, put all the ingredients in a medium pan and cook
over medium heat until the fruit has softened slightly and there is a
vibrant syrup in the bottom of the pan. Drain the fruit and set
aside, reserving the syrup.
To make the cream filling, whisk all the ingredients together until
the cream holds stiff peaks. To assemble the pudding, line a 1-quart
bowl with plastic wrap, making sure there is an overhang to help
remove the pudding later. Cut out two discs of cake, one to fit the
bottom of the bowl and one to fit the top. Cut the remaining cake
into thin strips.
Dip all the cake into the reserved syrup and use all but the top
piece to line the prepared bowl. Spread the cream filling across the
bottom and up the sides of the bowl, covering all the cake. Pour the
fruit into the bowl and seal with the larger disc of cake. Press a
piece of plastic wrap to the top of the pudding and put a small plate
on top. Put a weight, such as a can of beans, onto the plate to
weight it down. This helps to seal the pudding so that it holds its
shape. Chill for 4–5 hours before serving.
Remove the weight and plate, and turn the bowl over onto a serving
plate. Use the overhang of plastic wrap to tease the pudding from the
bowl. Serve on its own or with a little extra cream.
(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Say it with Cake' by Edd Kimber -published by Kyle Books USA, August 2013- photography by Georgia Glynn Smith)