A lovely summery twist on the classic Italian dessert, made with a deliciously smooth and creamy marsala-spiked mascarpone ice cream.
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Yields:
8 serving(s)
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
8 mins
Total Time:
28 mins
Cal/Serv:
432
Ingredients
3
medium eggs
100g
light soft brown sugar
250g
mascarpone
100ml
double cream
1tsp.
vanilla bean paste
125ml
marsala
12
sponge fingers
TO SERVE
16
sponge fingers
Cocoa powder, to dust
8Tbsp.
marsala
8
shots (about 30ml each) freshly brewed hot espresso
Directions
Step 1First make the ice cream. Put eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl and sit over a pan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the bowl. Cook for around 6-8min, stirring continuously, until the mixture is warm and the sugar has dissolved (test by rubbing between your fingertips – you shouldn’t be able to feel any grains of sugar). Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until tripled in size and cool.
Step 2In a separate bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, double cream and vanilla. Add egg mixture to the mascarpone mix and fold together with a spoon until well combined.
Step 3Put the marsala in a shallow dish and add 12 sponge fingers. Turn until they soak up the marsala, then break into small pieces. Stir these through the ice cream mixture, then scrape into a freezer-safe container. Cover and freeze for 6-8hr, until set firm.
Step 4To serve, dust remaining sponge fingers with cocoa powder. Put a tablespoon of marsala in the base of 8 glasses, then add 2 scoops of ice cream to each. Pour a shot of hot espresso into each glass and serve with the cocoa-dusted fingers.
Get ahead The ice cream can be made up to a week in advance; keep it in a sealed container.
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurstis our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
Sarah is Good Housekeeping's Kitchen and Homes Director, looking after all things food and homes for the brand. Sarah started her career in journalism, then retrained as a chef 15 years ago following a lifelong dream to work in food. Since retraining, she has worked as a private chef, assisted on tv commercials, created recipes for some of the country's leading brands and became the go-to birthday and wedding cake baker in her friends and family network. In 2025, she was shortlisted for Cookery Writer of the Year by the Guild of Food Writers
