I made a delicious Italian cake no one has heard of that tastes better than tiramisu

There's nothing like a creamy dessert as a treat, and when it comes to sweets, Italian cakes are the best kind of indulgence - and this one is even lovelier than tiramisu. As the dark evenings draw in, and we come to expect a few rainy weekends, it's the perfect time to gather up the delicious ingredients needed for this delicious Italian dessert that not many people have even heard of.

Zuccotto is a "fabulous, creamy Italian dessert cake that is made in the form of a dome", Christina's Cucina explained on her blog, where this recipe is published. The Scottish Italian cook is "on a mission to save authentic Italian dishes from extinction" - and commenting on her website, she said that if you make this zuccotto cake once, "it won't be the last time". So one afternoon in September, I decided to give this recipe a whirl after getting everything I needed to make the zuccotto the day before.

The recipe has many stages; however, it's fairly easy to make and well worth the venture. Christina noted that "if you just take the recipe step by step, you'll see that a child can make this."

Making this dessert is like a work of art. You need to savour the creativity and ingredients as you go along. It's really exciting watching it come together while knowing you're soon going to be eating it.

The blog explained: "Please don't be put off and think that zuccotto is too difficult to make, as it truly is not difficult at all. If you just take the recipe step by step, you'll see that a child can make this delectable dessert!

"I've been making this zuccotto recipe for many years, which is why I'm sharing this particular recipe with you instead of an authentic version I've never made."

So, to begin, you need to gather several delightful ingredients and either make a simple homemade sponge cake or buy one.

This zuccotto recipe is adapted from Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts, as explained on Christina's blog. The dessert serves 12, but slices can also be frozen if there are only one or two people in your household.

How to make zuccotto

The ingredients you'll need:

• cake slices
• liqueur
• semisweet chocolate
• dark chocolate
• heavy whipping cream
• instant espresso-coffee powder
• Italian pastry cream
• grated chocolate or chocolate curls for decoration

You can also make your own Italian pastry cream (Crema Pasticcera) if you wish. I did; it takes a little time, but it was delicious.

Italian pastry cream ingredients:

(Slightly adapted from Il Cucchiaio D'Argento, according to Christina's Cucina blog)

• egg yolks
• sugar
• flour
• milk
• vanilla

Method

Christina's website shows step-by-step instructions along with photos to help you make this delicious zuccotto cake - and the stages are as follows:

Line a 2.5-quart bowl with plastic wrap, make the clingfilm larger than you need to cover the top later, then cut the sponge cake in half.

Place one slice of cake in the bottom of the bowl. If you're using a loaf cake, "cut slices and then triangles and fill the bowl like a jigsaw puzzle to cover every spot, so that the entire bowl is covered".

Slice a few pieces of the other half of the cake into strips and use these to line around the cake that's already in the bowl. This takes a few minutes, and it's so easy to do.

Now, sprinkle the cake with your choice of liqueur; I used Cointreau, but anything sweet works well.

How to make the pastry cream

In a medium-sized pot (off the heat), stir the egg yolks and sugar together briskly with a wooden spoon, then add the flour a little at a time and mix in.

Heat the milk to a boil and add the vanilla. Add the hot milk to the mixture a little at a time, mixing well in between additions. Be careful not to add too much at once, or the eggs may curdle.

Then, continue adding the hot milk and stirring continuously with a wooden spoon.

Christina explained: "Once all the milk has been added, put the pot onto medium heat and continue to stir." Let the mixture come to a boil and cook for three or four minutes, then remove it from the heat, but keep stirring as it cools so that it doesn't form a skin.

Next, melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over some hot water and set it aside.

How to make the zuccotto filling

In a medium bowl, beat 10 oz (300 ml) heavy whipping cream with the instant coffee powder until stiff peaks form. Set this mixture aside.

Take the cooled pastry cream and add one tablespoon of Grand Marnier, two oz (57 g) of grated chocolate, and the whipped coffee cream, then fold it into the mixture until it's completely combined.

Spread two-thirds of the mixture into the cake-lined bowl until it almost reaches the top, but not completely, and leave a hollow in the middle. Christina advised, "Don't worry if it doesn't look perfect; it will be fine in the end."

Now the fun bit: fill the zuccotto.

Firstly, add the melted chocolate to the remaining cream.

Mix it together well until it is pale, creamy-brown in colour, then fill the zuccotto's hollow centre with the cream and chocolate mix.

Next, you need to seal the zuccotto and chill, before you try it!

Take pieces of the remaining cake and close up the bottom of the zuccotto.

"Don't worry about what it looks like, just be sure to cover the entire area. This will be the bottom of the dessert", Christina explained.

Then, "sprinkle with more of your chosen liqueur, then seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least six hours, but I like to leave it overnight".

How to decorate the zuccotto

Finally, it's time to decorate the zuccotto. You'll need to beat the remaining 8 oz of heavy whipping cream, with the other two teaspoons of coffee powder and two tablespoonfuls of sugar until stiff peaks form.

When ready to decorate, remove the top plastic wrap and place a completely flat plate or cake stand on top of the zuccotto and invert it, then remove the bowl.

If you see any cracks in the cake's dome, don't worry; it'll be covered and will look perfect. Go ahead and spread the coffee-flavoured whipped cream all over the zuccotto.

For the final touches, Christina's Cucina explained: "Make swirls or peaks in the cream, whichever way you like, but it doesn't have to be fancy. Sprinkle it with chocolate shavings, curls or more grated chocolate."

It's best to refrigerate the cake for an hour, but if you really can't wait (as I couldn't), you can serve it immediately.