An Elegant Dessert from The Verandas: Zuban Glacé

Zuban Glacé The Verandas is an elegant dessert, at once breathtakingly elegant and deceptively simple. This lovely cake will stun guests with its Old World sophistication. It will not disappoint with layers of flavor. With liberal applications of Kirsch, and Sherry-flavored whipping cream, this is reminiscent of a trifle or other liqueur soaked desserts.

You can make Zuban Glacé by constructing the dessert with each of the components purchased from your favorite store. Alternatively, you can bake your own Angel food cake, and make both chocolate and vanilla puddings.

We have tried both versions – the “long” and the “short,” and promise you won’t be unhappy if you opt to skip the steps of baking cake and making puddings.

Zuban Glacé

Ingredients

• Pre-made Angel food cake
• Chocolate pudding (homemade is best, store-bought will suffice)
• Vanilla pudding (ditto)
• Kirsch
• Heavy cream – whipped
• Sherry
• Slivered almonds, toasted

Instructions

1. 1. Purchase a top-quality, standard size Angel food cake from your favorite bakery.
   2. Slice the Angel food cake in three even “plateaus” horizontally.
   3. Place the first layer on a fancy serving dish. Dose with a healthy amount of Kirsch.
   4. Cover this first layer with chocolate pudding.
   5. Gently lay the second layer of cake on top of the chocolate pudding. Dose with more Kirsch.
   6. Top this second layer with the vanilla pudding.
   7. Gently lay the third layer of cake on top of the vanilla pudding. Add more Kirsch.
   8. Make REAL whipping cream. As your whipping cream is “peaking,” add a shot of Sherry.
   9. Cover the cake with the whipped cream, making sure to liberally cover the sides and the top of your layered cake.
   10. Gently press the toasted slivered almonds onto the top and sides of the cake. You can allow some of the almonds to scatter decoratively around the base of the cake.
   11. Let the cake sit in the refrigerator for several hours so that the alcohol sponges throughout the cake.
   12. Remove at least an hour before serving to serve at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Note: For your Zuban Glacé The Verandas, you can substitute your favorite gluten-free cake and get lovely results.

Decades of discerning visitors to Wilmington NC have stepped into the city’s historic past with a stay at The Verandas, a Victorian Italianate Mansion. The 8500 square foot, 5 star, bed and breakfast inn is nestled in the Historic District, blocks from the Cape Fear Riverwalk, and all that Wilmington has to offer the lovers of history, Southern hospitality, top-rated cuisine, shopping, and the beaches of nearby Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Fort Fisher.

Chuck Pennington is proprietor of The Verandas Bed and Breakfast Inn in Wilmington NC. For more than 20 years he has been the consummate host, serving gourmet breakfasts to guests from around the world. His talents in the ultimate cook’s kitchen of The Verandas doesn’t stop with breakfast; he deftly produces desserts, hors d’oeuvres, and other delights.