Scazzetta del Cardinale Image Used Under Creative Commons License From salerno.italiani.it
Citizens – today is a red letter day for the Regent of Revolution! I am honored to share with you that while visiting Lisbon over the weekend, I had the privilege to attend a gala charity fundraiser graced – LITERALLY – by the presence of the Vatican’s top diplomatic Cardinal bearing a message from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV! As such, YOU are now graced by today’s recipe for scazzetta del cardinale!
The Cardinal in attendance was Emil Cardinal Tscherrig – AN AMAZINGLY HUMBLE, BRILLIANT AND HOLY MAN INDEED! I was blessed figuratively to be able to meet him AND was also LITERALLY blessed by him as well. A moment I will never forget!
Emil Cardinal Tscherrig – you can watch his Papal appointment and installation as Cardinal here!
Emil Paul Tscherrig (born 3 February 1947) is a Swiss prelate who has spent decades in the Diplomatic Service of the Church around the world and until his secular retirement in 2024, was the top international Diplomat of the Holy See itself! In him, you see epitomized a Diplomat commanding both gravitas and humility in equal measure!
I had the honor of speaking privately with His Eminence for nearly 20 minutes as we discussed the history of the Church and the recent 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, where the Jews were FINALLY absolved of ALL blame for the death of Christ. In My youth, I spent time at the Holy See studying the history of the Church and was blessed to reflect on this topic with His Holiness John Paul the Great!
It is thus proclaimed with due awe and suitable reverence that I therefore and thereby mark this weekend’s amazing chance to meet with His Eminence Cardinal Tscherrig by sharing another recipe with deep roots in the Holy See!
I have shared several of this genre in the past, including:
The unusual name of “scazzetta” is a Neapolitan dialectical term for the “galero”, or red headdress that cardinals receive from the Pope in a solemn ceremony on the occasion of their appointment.
The cake, a low, circular sponge cake soaked in boozy limoncello syrup, covered with strawberry icing and filled with custard and wild strawberries is precisely reminiscent in both shape and color of this hat, which adheres perfectly from the middle of the head to the nape of the neck.
Scazzetta has deep roots in Italy – not in the Holy See, but rather the ancient city of Salerno in the south of the country! As noted on stayinsalerno.com:
The history of the city of Salerno has its roots in very ancient times. The first artifacts found in the area date from around the 6th century B.C. and tell the story of an Etruscan settlement. Thanks to the numerous archaeological finds, it has been shown how, since ancient times, the area represented an important strategic trading point, such that it was a hub of fusion between different cultures.
It was during the period of Roman Imperialism that the town acquired the name Salernum, before suffering barbarian invasions and being subsequently occupied by the Goths, Byzantines, Normans, and Lombards. During the course of Longobard rule the town experienced a period of magnificence and wealth, such that it was recorded on local coins as Opulenta Salernum.
In 839 A.D. it became the capital of an independent Longobard principality, the “Principality of Salerno”. This was governed by Duke Arechi II, who fixed his residence in the magnificent and majestic castle that currently possesses his name and overlooks the hill where Castrum Salerni is located. Besides that, under his rule originated the famous Salerno Medical School, the most important source of medical knowledge in Europe in the Middle Ages.
Similarly, Robert Guiscard, the Norman monarch who conquered Salerno in 1077, named it the capital of his domain, and it was as a testament to this magnificence that the royal palace (Castel Terracena) and the lofty cathedral, namely the Cathedral of St. Matthew, were built.
Subsequently, with the dynasty of the Swabians, at the end of the 12th century, the son of Emperor Frederick II (King Manfred of Sicily) ordered the construction of a basin that still bears his name, and later, in 1259, the St. Matthew’s Fair was also born, strongly desired by Giovanni Da Procida as a means of developing the local economy.
The tax relief was institutionalized by Manfred of Swabia in agreement with the Salernitan Church, which managed and administered the fair event as it was connected with the celebration of the feast day dedicated to the apostle Matthew (now the Patron Saint of the city of Salerno).
After the Angevin takeover, much of the province of Salerno became the territory of the Princes of Sanseverino, powerful feudal lords who amassed considerable political and administrative power, attracting numerous artists and men of letters.
In the early decades of the 16th century, the last descendant of the Sanseverino princes came into conflict with the Spanish government, causing the beginning of a long period of decline for the city, as the kings focused their attentions exclusively on the capital: Naples.
Later, unfortunately, the city was hit by several catastrophic earthquakes and plagues, which claimed thousands of lives.
It was not until a period of Spanish domination, which lasted until the 18th century, that there was a slow revival of the city, with the construction of a high number of buildings and churches, which still characterize the main streets of Salerno’s historic center.
In 1799 Salerno became part of the Parthenopean Republic and saw a period of Napoleonic government. Joachim Murat decreed the closure of the Salerno Medical School, which had seen a period of decline for decades to the level of a theoretical school.
After the Unification of Italy a slow urban development continued to proceed until World War II. In October 1943, the first assembly of the Badoglio government (president of the Council after the fall of Mussolini) took place inside what is now the City Hall of Salerno.
In 1944, the city was a leading player in the rebirth of Italy following the misdeeds of the war, welcoming the first post-fascist government and the Royal family, becoming to all intents and purposes the Capital of Italy. The postwar period was difficult for all southern Italian cities, but Salerno, with great vigor, managed to improve little by little.
Today Salerno is an important cultural center in Campania and Italy, thanks to its long and eventful history. Because of its varied history, the city is characterized by a rich and flourishing culture. It is urbanistically divided into three distinct areas: the medieval sector, the 19th century sector, and the postwar area (with the highest population density).
Nowadays, the city of Salerno is an important gateway for travelers to the Amalfi Coast, Naples, or Cilento, not only due to its strategic location, but an interesting city to visit because of its centuries-old history and modern urban planning.
Now, as to the history of scazzetta itself!
The scazzetta was born from the imagination of Mario Pantaleone, who in 1868 founded his own pastry shop in Salerno, which is still active today. It is said that the first scazzetta was produced in 1920, and that it was Mario’s son Alfonso Pantaleone who made it even more popular. It became so successful that in 1994 the Scazzetta trademark was registered with the Italian Patent and Trademark Office!
The red strawberry icing covers discs of soft sponge cake filled with a delicious Chantilly cream enriched with wild strawberries: a combination that NEVER disappoints.
I once again turn to the bible of Salerno’s history, stayinsalerno.com, for more details:
The connection between the cardinal’s hat and Mario Pantaleone’s dessert lies precisely in the involuntary similarity of this sweet creation, which happens by a strange case of fate, in a pastry shop located in a former chapel. Thus was born the scazzetta del cardinale, a heavenly dessert that blends between the sacred and the profane.
The renowned Pantaleone pastry shop, founded by Mario Pantaleone, has been located in the ancient chapel of the Anime del Purgatorio, at the crossroads of Via dei Mercanti and Via Duomo in the historical centre of Salerno, since 1868.
It was in this old confectionery workshop that the iconic Scazzetta del Cardinale was created. This dessert, beloved by the people of Salerno, consists of soft sponge cake garnished with cream custard and wild strawberries, and is covered with strawberry icing. A delight for all palates!
The Scazzetta has become the company’s symbol in its own right, with its colour and name recalling the traditional cardinal’s hat, the galero, made of red felt and given to clergymen by the Pope during their nomination ceremony.
For the people of Salerno, dessert is synonymous with tradition, and Sunday lunch is not complete without a tasty scazzetta. Unmissable!
Over the centuries, many famous and not-so-famous people have praised the pastry shop’s quality and products, from the Savoy royal family, who designated it the main supplier of confectionery products to the royal house, to Eduardo De Filippo and De Crescendo. But the greatest admirer of the scazzetta seems to have been Pope John Paul II. On his birthdays, used to eat cake and other sweets.
The history of Pasticceria Pantalone is the history of Salerno. It is an ancient recipe made with passion, heart and tradition.
As is My privilege and destiny, I have made several changes to the canonical (pun intended) classic recipe for scazzetta, but none of My changes will depart TOO much from what any Citizen of Salerno would recognize as their iconic (pun intended again!) version!
I do prefer duck eggs to enrich the sponge cake dough as opposed to classic chicken eggs – you can buy duck eggs through the mail from this family farm. For the record, they are WAY better than chicken eggs in pretty much everything from scrambled eggs to haute pâtisserie!
I prefer to deepen the sweetness profile by using some turbinado sugar in place of the classic white sugar – grab some from here on Amazon – I also prefer to use Italian 00 pastry flour to guarantee a tender crumb and you can get it here.
The sponge cakes are also soaked in a boozy syrup classically made with limoncello – once again, I have chosen to add deeper flavor beyond just citrus by adding in some of the superb Italian hazelnut and herb liqueur known as Frangelico (made by monks, I might add!). I also add in a hint of mint to the syrup as well with bruised spearmint leaves as mint, lemon and strawberries are a divine match indeed!
In the icing, I add a floral note by using violet sugar in place of regular powdered sugar – just blitz some candied violets and sugar to powder in a blender! I use violets because A: I love their flavor and B: violet is a very important liturgical color – learn more from this link. You can buy candied violets of top quality from here.
To ensure the icing is as scarlet a Cardinal red as it deserves to be, I call for 2-4 drops of Chefmaster Super Red Liqua-Gel® Food Coloring to be added – grab some here.
Lastly, you will need exemplary gelatin leaves for the icing – this is a brand of quality and their Platinum grade is the best you can buy! My affectation is to garnish My version of scazzetta with an outer ring of blackberries, a smaller inner ring of wild strawberries and with one white strawberry in the center.
These to represent the black skullcap of the ordained priests, the red skullcap of the College of Cardinals and the white skullcap of His Holiness! Add in violet and you have the entirety of the liturgical color spectrum in one divinely delicious dessert worthy of a Prince of the Church!
Citizens – it is a rare moment INDEED when your beloved Suzerain kisses the ring virtually, let alone literally! I was honored to do both this weekend and I hope you enjoy sharing My sublime version of scazzetta with your worthies and they find it worthy of fixture in the Primum Mobile itself!
Start with the sponge cake: Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 6 Tbsp. boiling water. Add sugar and beat with electric whips until frothy. Gradually add the flour and baking powder, then incorporate the egg whites into the mixture, mixing from the bottom up.
Pour the mixture into a 24-cm-diameter cake pan, previously buttered and floured.
Bake the sponge cake at 170° for 40 minutes, then take it out of the oven, turn it upside down and let it cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the icing: Soften the gelatin leaves in cold water for 10 minutes. Remove the stems from the strawberries and wash them. Place them in a bowl with the powdered violet sugar.
Blend them, put them in a saucepan with the gel food coloring and boil 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and the gelatin leaves, squeezing them first. Stir to dissolve the gelatin and let it cool, then refrigerate.
To prepare the filling you will need custard: Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and put it in a saucepan with the milk. Simmer for 5 minutes over low heat. Separately, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, after which add the sifted flour. Remove the vanilla from the milk and pour the milk little by little into the mixture, stirring constantly.
Pour everything into a saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring to avoid lumps, until the cream becomes thick. Finally, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
Add the whipped cream to the custard and mix well.
Lastly, prepare the syrup. Bring the water and frangelico with the sugar and mint to a boil, immediately turn off the heat and steep ten minutes, fish out mint leaves and discard, then let it cool and add the limoncello.
Now you have everything ready to assemble the cake! Cut the sponge cake into 3 horizontal disks. Place the base on a plate and wet it with the syrup. Spread half the cream on the base, then top with sliced strawberries. Place the second disc of sponge cake, wet it too, then top it with the other half of the cream and strawberries.
Close everything with the third disc of sponge cake, wet it, and then leave the cake in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
The last step is to coat the cake with strawberry frosting. Finally decorate the cake with the blackberries, strawberries, and a single white strawberry in the center, or as you prefer – a few mint leaves are also an excellent garnish.
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