Pound Cake with Limoncello Zabaglione

Name: Pound Cake with Limoncello Zabaglione
Prep time: 1 h 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 cups mixed berries; 1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 lemon); 2 teaspoons limoncello; 2 teaspoons sugar; 4 egg yolks; 3 tablespoons limoncello; 3 tablespoons sugar; 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (1/2 lemon); 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (1/4 lemon); Half 10 3/4-ounce pound cake

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This pound cake with fresh berries and limoncello zabaglione is one of my favorite Italian desserts. Zabaglione is a sweet Italian custard made with eggs, sugar, and some kind of alcohol. In this case, I'm using limoncello. It gives the custard a bright, lemony flavor that pairs beautifully with the berries. You don't have to worry about not cooking the eggs fully. Since the custard is whipped over the heat of simmering water, it's completely safe to eat. If you want to keep it alcohol-free, you can substitute the limoncello with lemon syrup, extract, or juice. Just keep in mind that limoncello is sweet, so you might want to add a little extra sugar.

You can use store-bought pound cake here, or make my ricotta pound cake from scratch. It's worth the extra time! The same with the limoncello — store-bought works if you can find it, but it's super easy to make yourself.

Prep Time

105 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Calories

190

Author:

Giada De Laurentiis

Image of Pound Cake with Limoncello Zabaglione

Ingredients

For The Berries:

2 cups mixed berries
1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
2 teaspoons limoncello
2 teaspoons sugar

For The Limoncello Zabaglione:

4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons limoncello
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest (1/2 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (1/4 lemon)
Half 10 3/4-ounce pound cake

Instructions

As seen on: Giada in Italy, Episode 12. The Sweet Spot.
Mix together the berries, lemon juice, limoncello and sugar in a medium bowl. Crush the berries gently, using the back of a fork. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to let the juices develop and the flavors mingle.
Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In a heat-proof medium bowl that fits comfortably over the saucepan without touching the water, combine the egg yolks, limoncello, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until smooth and incorporated. Place the bowl over the simmering water and continue beating until a thick ribbon remains in the mixture when the beaters are lifted out, about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue to beat for another 2 minutes to prevent the egg from cooking. Cool to room temperature.
To serve, place a 3/4-inch-thick slice of pound cake on a plate. Top with a spoonful of the berries and a dollop of the zabaglione.