10/02/2024
Pandoro Dessert Cups

This recipe was designed to make use of a large store-bought Italian-style Pandoro (festive sponge cake), which I turned into dessert cups in a variety of flavours - lemon curd & almond, coffee & nutella and strawberry, custard & coconut, to feed a crowd.
Makes:
30 individual cups
Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus refrigeration time)
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 600g storebought Italian Pandoro or golden sponge cake
- LEMON CURD & ALMOND CUPS
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 350g jar lemon curd
- 1/4 cup toasted flaked almonds
- COFFEE & NUTELLA CUPS
- 1/2 cup hot strong espresso coffee
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup marsala or coffee liqueur
- 1/2 cup Nutella choc hazelnut spread
- cocoa and/or chopped dark chocolate, for decoration
- STRAWBERRY, CUSTARD & COCONUT CUPS
- 1 punnet strawberries
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 600g carton vanilla custard
- 2 tablespoons toasted flaked coconut or shredded coconut, for garnish
Method
- To make Vanilla Cream, beat cream, sugar and vanilla essence together until soft peaks form, and divide into 3 bowls. Refrigerate until required. Remove the dark crust from the Pandoro and cut into small cubes. Distribute evenly between 30 serving cups.
- LEMON & COCONUT To make Lemon Syrup, combine lemon juice, sugar and vodka in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool. Spoon Lemon Syrup evenly over Pandoro in 10 of the cups. Spoon teaspoons of half the lemon curd over the Pandoro and sprinkle with half the almonds. Use one portion of the Vanilla Cream to dollop on top of each cup. Top with remaining lemon curd and almonds.
- COFFEE & NUTELLA To make Coffee Syrup, combine hot espresso, sugar and marsala together, stirring until sugar dissolves, and allow to cool. Spoon Coffee Syrup evenly over Pandoro in 10 of the cups. Mix Nutella into one portion of Vanilla Cream and dollop evenly on top of each cup. Sprinkle with cocoa and garnish with chopped chocolate.
- STRAWBERRY, CUSTARD & COCONUT Reserve 5 strawberries for garnish and cut in half. Slice the remaining strawberries and combine with sugar in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, and allow to cool. Strain strawberries, reserving both strawberries and syrup. Spoon Strawberry Syrup evenly over Pandoro in 10 of the cups. Top with poached strawberries, custard and remaining Vanilla Cream. Garnish with coconut and strawberry halves.
Tips
- Make all the Syrups ahead of time before assembling. Pandoro Cups are best refrigerated for at least 2 hours, or overnight, before serving.
- STYLING Serve in colourful party snack cups and present an assortment on a serving tray.
- DRINK Pink Lemonade!
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