ITALIAN ZUPPA INGLESE 

This is the famous dessert cake of Italy, made for birthdays and celebrations or just for delicious eating. Literally translated, the name means " English soup "; it is a rum-flavoured cake, thought to have acquired the unusual name because of the association of English sailors and their rum issue. It makes an impressive party dessert and gives 10 to 12 servings. 

YOU WILL NEED : 

SPONGE 

• 6 eggs 

• 1½ cups castor sugar 

• 1 cup plain flour 

• ½ cup cornflour 

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder 

FILLING, DECORATION 

• ½ cup cornflour 

• ½ cup custard powder 

• ½ cup sugar 

• 600 ml carton of milk 

• 2 teaspoons vanilla 

• 300 ml carton of thickened cream 

• 30g ( 1 oz ) butter 

• 2 egg yolks 

• 2 punnets strawberries 

• 2 x 300ml cartons thickened cream, extra 

• 2 teaspoons sugar, extra 

• 2/3 cup milk, extra 

• 2 tablespoons rum 

• 2 tablespoons strawberry jam 

• 1 tablespoon rum, extra

ITALIAN  ZUPPA INGLESE RECIPE:

For sponge cake, beat eggs until thick and creamy. gradually add sugar, and beat until sugar is dissolved. Gently fold in sifted dry ingredients into Pour mixture greased deep 28cm ( 11in ) round cake tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the tin. Turn out and cool on a wire rack. 

For filling, place cornflour custard powder and sugar into the pan, and stir until combined Gradually add milk, and mix until smooth and free of lumps Add vanilla and cream, stir until combined. Stir over low heat until custard boils and thickens. Add butter, simmer uncovered for 3 minutes, stir ring constantly. Remove pan from heat, add beaten egg yolks; mix well. Place custard into a bowl, and cover it with plastic food wrap. Allow it to become cold. When cold, beat well. 

Cut the cake into three even layers. Place the first layer of cake in a tin in which the cake was cooked. Brush the cake with combined extra milk and rum. Spread half the custard evenly over the cake. Wash strawberries; reserve eight for decorating the top of the cake. Hull and slice the remaining strawberries. Sprinkle half the sliced strawberries over the custard layer. Put a second layer of cake on top of strawberries. Brush with rum mixture. Spread the remaining custard evenly over the cake, and sprinkle with the remaining strawberries. Top with the third layer of cake, and brush with the remaining rum mixture. Cover with plastic food wrap, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

Turn the cake onto a serving plate. Beat extra cream and extra sugar until soft peaks form, spread two-thirds of the cream over the top and sides of the cake, put the remaining cream into a large piping bag fitted with a star tube, and pipe decoratively around the cake. Put the jam and extra rum into the pan, and stir over gentle heat until heated; strain. Brush reserved strawberries with jam, and place them on top of the cake as shown.

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