Zabaglione is a basic Italian custard created from simply three components: egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine. It would sound fancy, however this recipe is easy and straightforward to make.

Zabaglione makes a formidable dessert. It tastes nice served heat over contemporary berries, with ladyfingers (referred to as Savoiardi in Italy), cake, or sliced panettone. It tastes a bit of boozy, with a wealthy, creamy, eggy taste (actually yummy!). To tone down the egg and Marsala flavors barely, or for a extra stabilized, make-ahead model, you can too fold it with whipped cream for a lightweight, ethereal mousse.
I first realized to make zabaglione as the bottom for our tiramisu. Whenever you combine it with mascarpone and whipped egg whites or whipped cream, it turns into the creamy layer between espresso-soaked ladyfingers. It’s scrumptious in tiramisu, however currently we’ve loved it by itself, and we’re excited to share it with you.
Key Substances
- Egg Yolks: These type the bottom of the custard. It can save you the whites for an egg white omelette, meringue, or pavlova.
- Sugar: We use granulated or cane sugar. Brown sugar would muddy the colour.
- Marsala Wine: We desire dry Marsala wine, because it’s good for dishes like hen Marsala and tiramisu. You should utilize candy marsala wine, however it’s possible you’ll want to cut back the sugar barely. Widespread substitutions embody Madeira wine, Moscato d’Asti, Vin Santo, or Limoncello. For a non-alcoholic possibility, attempt white grape juice with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Whipped Cream: That is elective, however for a mousse-like texture, chill the custard, then fold in firmly whipped cream. Right here’s my go-to whipped cream recipe for suggestions.
Discover the complete recipe with measurements under.
The best way to Make Zabaglione at Dwelling
Tip 1: Arrange your double boiler. You’ll slowly cook dinner this custard in a bowl set over barely simmering water. A saucepan of water with a heatproof bowl set on prime is a “double boiler.”
An important factor to recollect is that the water ought to by no means contact the underside of the bowl. This offers you light warmth that cooks the combination with out scrambling the eggs. Use about an inch of water and ensure that the bowl matches snugly.

Tip 2: Whisk till clean earlier than heating. Earlier than putting your bowl over the warmth, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and wine till clean. When you add sugar to egg yolks, whisk them collectively instantly. In the event that they sit for too lengthy, the sugar can truly “cook dinner” or agency up the skin of the yolks, creating tiny lumps (additionally referred to as burning the yolks).


Tip 3: Whisk consistently whereas cooking. Fixed whisking is what creates that signature ethereal texture. When you’re whisking by hand, it should take about 8 minutes. With an electrical hand mixer, it’s nearer to 4 minutes.
If the eggs start to agency up too rapidly across the edges, instantly take away the bowl from the warmth and preserve whisking on the counter to chill it a bit. Decrease the range warmth earlier than returning the bowl to the saucepan.


Tip 4: Search for “the ribbon.” To inform when zabaglione is finished, search for the custard to be pale yellow, frothy, and thick. Carry your whisk or beaters out of the bowl. If the custard falls again into the bowl in thick, gradual ribbons that maintain their form for a second, it’s prepared!
Serving Recommendations
Relying in your schedule and the feel you want, there are 3 ways to get pleasure from this Italian custard. When you select your favourite approach, you possibly can serve it with fruit and berry salad, sliced cake like this blueberry cake, panettone, over scones, with shortbread, girl fingers, and extra!
Basic (serve instantly): For a conventional expertise, serve the thick, pale yellow custard whereas it’s nonetheless heat. Pour it over contemporary berries or cake to benefit from the wealthy, boozy aroma of the Marsala. This model is at its finest proper off the double boiler.
Chilled (as much as 6 hours upfront): Shortly chilling the custard helps you to make this as much as 6 hours forward. Put the bowl of heat zabaglione into a bigger bowl of ice water proper after cooking, and preserve whisking because it cools. This helps stabilize the custard. As soon as chilled, switch to glasses and refrigerate for as much as 6 hours. With no stabilizer, the custard could lose some airiness and change into a bit denser after 6 hours. Simply give it a delicate stir earlier than serving to combine in any wine that has settled to the underside.
Add Whipped Cream (as much as 2 days upfront): If you wish to make this nicely forward of time, that is the easiest way. As soon as the custard is chilly, gently fold in whipped heavy cream. This turns zabaglione into a lightweight, ethereal mousse that retains its texture for as much as two days within the fridge. It’s milder and creamier than the basic, however nonetheless scrumptious.
Extra Easy Desserts


Zabaglione
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PREP
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COOK
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TOTAL
Egg yolks, Marsala wine, and sugar are whisked over simmering water till the combination is thick, ethereal, and scrumptious. We love home made zabaglione over berries, with slices of cake or panettone, or become a mousse by folding it into whipped cream (extra on this within the article).
6 Servings
You Will Want
5 giant egg yolks
¼ cup granulated or cane sugar (50g)
¼ cup dry Marsala wine (60ml)
Small pinch fantastic sea salt
1 to three teaspoons lemon juice or orange juice, elective
2 cups berries, for serving
Instructions
1Put together a double-boiler: Fill a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and produce it to a simmer. Decrease the warmth so the water barely bubbles. Place a medium heatproof bowl, akin to glass, chrome steel, or copper, on prime of the saucepan. Make sure that the water doesn’t contact the underside of the bowl. If it does, pour out some water till the bowl sits above it.
2Whisk eggs, wine, and sugar: Take the bowl off the pan and place onto the counter. Add the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala wine, and salt, and whisk till the combination may be very clean. You should utilize a hand whisk or an electrical mixer. As soon as you place the bowl again over the saucepan, you may be whisking the entire time.
3Cook dinner the combination: Put the bowl with the egg combination again over the saucepan. Whisk the combination repeatedly till it’s pale yellow, frothy, and thick. Preserve the water so it’s barely simmering. If it will get too scorching, the combination could scramble. When you discover the egg cooking too rapidly across the edges, take away the bowl from the saucepan and whisk it for a couple of seconds with the bowl on the counter to chill it down, then return it to the warmth. In case you are whisking by hand, anticipate this to take 6 to eight minutes (or nearer to 4 minutes with an electrical mixer). The combination is prepared when it falls again in thick ribbons as you raise the whisk or beaters.
4Serve: Take the bowl off the warmth. Style the zabaglione, and if you wish to stability the egginess or sweetness, whisk in a teaspoon or two of contemporary lemon or orange juice. Serve it heat over contemporary berries, or see suggestions under for extra methods to serve it.
Adam and Joanne’s Ideas
- Storing: If not serving immediately, chill rapidly by putting the custard bowl in an ice bathtub. Proceed whisking to rapidly chill it down. Divide between serving glasses or bowls, then refrigerate as much as 6 hours. To increase even additional and make extra creamy, fold in 2 cups freshly whipped cream, after which refrigerate for as much as 2 days.
- The dietary info offered are estimates. We included the berries, however not the whipped cream.
Vitamin Per Serving
Serving Dimension
1/6 of the recipe
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Energy
121
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Complete Fats
3.9g
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Saturated Fats
1.4g
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Ldl cholesterol
153.7mg
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Sodium
34.1mg
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Carbohydrate
17.1g
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Dietary Fiber
1.2g
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Complete Sugars
13.4g
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Protein
2.6g










