Italian Desserts (Dolci)

From rustic tarts to elegant semifreddi—seasonal, simple, and sweet.

A Tuscan dessert should feel effortless—good fruit, restrained sugar, and just enough technique. Explore a few favorites below, plus a quick crema pasticcera to power your tarts and pastries.

Featured Recipe: Apple Tart Sweet Wine Pairings
Warm apple tart with vanilla gelato
Warm apple tart with vanilla gelato
Cenci (chiacchiere) carnival pastries
Cenci — carnival pastries
Rolled chocolate sponge with strawberry cream
Chocolate roll with strawberry cream
Rum-soaked baba with cherries and cream
Baba al rum
Semifreddo plated with fruit
Spumone semifreddo
Schiacciata Fiorentina carnival cake
Schiacciata Fiorentina — carnival cake

Typical Italian Desserts

  • Warm Apple Tart
  • Spumone Semifreddo
  • Zuccotto (Florentine)
  • Cenci (Chiacchiere)
  • Schiacciata Fiorentina
  • Baba al Rum

How to Make Crema Pasticcera

  1. Heat: Warm milk with vanilla or lemon zest to steaming.
  2. Whisk: Yolks + sugar + cornstarch until pale.
  3. Temper & thicken: Whisk in milk; cook while whisking until thick.
  4. Chill: Wrap touching surface; cool fully before using.

Recipe Cards

Warm baked apple tart with vanilla gelato

Warm Baked Apple Tart (with Vanilla Gelato)

Prep: 20 min · Bake: 35–40 min · Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet sweet shortcrust (pâte sucrée)
  • 5–6 firm apples, thinly sliced
  • 60 g sugar · 30 g butter · pinch cinnamon
  • Apricot jam (glaze) · vanilla gelato to serve

Steps

  1. Line tart tin; chill. Arrange apples shingled; dot with butter and sugar.
  2. Bake at 190°C/375°F 35–40 min until edges are golden.
  3. Brush warm with apricot glaze; serve slightly warm with gelato.
Est. per slice: 260 kcal · F 11 g · C 37 g · P 3 g · Na 120 mg
Spumone semifreddo with pistachio, vanilla, and strawberry

Spumone Semifreddo (Pistachio · Vanilla · Strawberry)

Prep: 25 min + freeze · Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 300 ml heavy cream, softly whipped
  • 3 eggs, separated
  • 90 g sugar · pinch salt
  • Flavors: pistachio paste, vanilla, strawberry purée

Steps

  1. Make a sabayon: whisk yolks with 60 g sugar over gentle heat until thick; cool.
  2. Whip whites with 30 g sugar to soft peaks. Fold cream + sabayon + whites.
  3. Divide and flavor each portion; layer in mold; freeze 6+ hours. Temper before slicing.
Est. per serving: 290 kcal · F 20 g · C 22 g · P 5 g · Na 60 mg
Individual zuccotto dome dessert

Zuccotto (Florentine Dome, Individual)

Prep: 25 min · Chill: 2–3 h · Yield: 6 domes

Ingredients

  • Genoise or ladyfingers
  • Simple syrup with Alchermes or Marsala
  • 500 ml whipped cream · 250 g ricotta or mascarpone
  • Chocolate shavings · candied orange (opt.)

Steps

  1. Line molds with syrup-brushed sponge.
  2. Fold cream with ricotta/mascarpone; add chocolate & candied fruit.
  3. Fill, cap with sponge; chill until set. Unmold and dust with cocoa.
Est. per dome: 320 kcal · F 19 g · C 30 g · P 6 g · Na 120 mg
Cenci chiacchiere fried pastry

Cenci (Chiacchiere) — Carnival Fried Pastry

Prep: 20 min · Fry: 10 min · Yield: ~40 pieces

Ingredients

  • 300 g flour · 40 g sugar · pinch salt
  • 2 eggs · 30 g butter · 1 tbsp grappa or vin santo
  • Zest of 1 lemon · icing sugar to finish
  • Neutral oil for frying

Steps

  1. Mix to a smooth dough; rest 20 min.
  2. Roll very thin; cut strips; slit center and twist.
  3. Fry 170–175°C to pale gold; drain; dust with icing sugar.
Est. per 4 pieces: 180 kcal · F 6 g · C 27 g · P 4 g · Na 60 mg
Schiacciata Fiorentina carnival cake with sugar and fleur-de-lis

Schiacciata Fiorentina (Florentine Carnival Cake)

Prep: 15 min · Bake: 22–26 min · Yield: 12 squares

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs · 150 g sugar · pinch salt
  • 80 ml sunflower oil (or 80 g melted butter)
  • 120 ml milk · zest of 1 orange · 60 ml orange juice
  • 300 g flour · 12 g baking powder · 1 tsp vanilla
  • Icing sugar to finish (stencil fleur-de-lis optional)

Steps

  1. Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt until pale. Stream in oil, then milk, zest, and juice.
  2. Fold in flour, baking powder, and vanilla. Spread in a lined 24×30 cm (9×13”) pan.
  3. Bake at 180°C/356°F for 22–26 min until springy and lightly golden. Cool.
  4. Dust generously with icing sugar; stencil the Florentine lily if you like.
Est. per square: 220 kcal · F 7 g · C 35 g · P 4 g · Na 140 mg
Rum soaked baba with cream and cherries

Baba al Rum (with Cherries & Cream)

Prep: 25 min + rise · Bake: 20–22 min · Yield: 12 babà

Ingredients

  • 300 g strong flour · 6 g yeast · 3 eggs
  • 60 g butter · 30 g sugar · pinch salt
  • Syrup: 300 ml water · 150 g sugar · peel · 80 ml dark rum
  • Lightly whipped cream · cherries to finish

Steps

  1. Knead soft enriched dough; rise until doubled.
  2. Pipe into molds; proof; bake 190°C/375°F 20–22 min.
  3. Soak warm in hot rum syrup; serve with cream & cherries.
Est. per babà: 210 kcal · F 7 g · C 31 g · P 4 g · Na 80 mg

Nutrition values are estimates based on standard ingredients.

Keep Exploring

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