What Italian dessert is made of layers of sponge cake soaked in liqueur and custard?

What Italian dessert is made of layers of sponge cake soaked in liqueur and custard? Zuppa inglese is the answer.

Zuppa inglese is an Italian layered dessert made from sponge cake or ladyfingers, liqueur, and crema pasticcera, a thick egg custard. The cake is commonly soaked in alchermes, a vivid red and strongly aromatic Italian herbal liqueur. Some versions add a chocolate custard layer, while others are finished with cream, meringue, or almonds.

Despite its name, which literally means “English soup,” the dessert is Italian. One widely repeated story connects it with English trifle and the Este court in Ferrara, whose cooks may have adapted the dessert after encounters with English food. Another theory links the name to inzuppare, the Italian verb meaning “to dunk,” referring to the soaked cake. The exact origin remains disputed.

Zuppa inglese is often mistaken for tiramisu because both are layered Italian desserts. Tiramisu is built around coffee-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone, whereas zuppa inglese is characterized by custard and liqueur-soaked cake, especially alchermes. It is also popular as a gelato flavor in Italy.