Zuppetta Napoletana
Il Diplomatico
Two crackling layers of caramelized puff pastry hold a soft center — pan di spagna soaked in Strega, crema pasticcera, and sour cherries. A fixture of the vassoio della domenica, the Sunday pastry tray, despite the confusing name.
The name causes real confusion, and it's worth clearing up first: zuppetta napoletana is not zuppa inglese. Zuppa inglese is built on ladyfingers, layered and served soft in a bowl or glass. Zuppetta napoletana — also sold as il diplomatico — is architecture: two rigid, caramel-glazed sheets of puff pastry sandwiching a soft rectangle of pan di spagna, crema pasticcera, and sour cherries. You eat it with a fork specifically because the top layer shatters.
It sits in the same family as the pasta sfoglia pastries on this blog, put to a different use — here the puff pastry isn't wrapped around a filling, it's stacked flat and used as a structural top and bottom, almost like a cookie. The Strega liqueur soaking the sponge is the other signature: a saffron-yellow herbal liqueur from Benevento, in Campania, and it's what gives the center its distinctive fragrance.
Not to be confused with zuppa inglese — same region, similar name, completely different construction. This one is puff pastry and pan di spagna; that one is ladyfingers alone.
The recipe
For one rectangular cake, about 20×26 cm, serving 8–10.
Zuppetta Napoletana (Il Diplomatico) — puff pastry, pan di spagna, and pastry cream. Click to enlarge.
2 sheetsPasta sfoglia (puff pastry), rolled to fit the pan
1 layer, ~1.5 cm thickPan di spagna, cut to fit
500 mlCrema pasticcera, chilled
150 gAmarene sciroppate (sour cherries in syrup), drained
60 mlStrega liqueur, or amarena syrup diluted with water
To finishPowdered sugar
1
Bake the two sheets of puff pastry flat between two baking sheets (to keep them from puffing unevenly), at 200°C (390°F) for 15–18 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. Cool completely.
2
Brush the pan di spagna layer generously with the Strega, or the diluted amarena syrup for a version without alcohol.
3
Place one sheet of puff pastry on a serving tray. Spread half the crema pasticcera over it, arrange the soaked pan di spagna on top, scatter the sour cherries over the sponge, then spread the remaining crema pasticcera over that.
4
Top with the second sheet of puff pastry, pressing very gently to settle it. Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving.
Assemble no more than a few hours ahead — the puff pastry softens against the cream over time and loses its crackle.
Related
Pan di Spagna
The sponge at the center of this and every cake on the guide. See
the full recipe.
Zuppa Inglese
Not the same dessert, despite the name — ladyfingers and custard, no puff pastry. See
the full recipe.
Buon appetito.
