Did you know that Pasticceria Gualtieri, one of Florence’s most storied and loved pastry shops, has been in the same little spot on Via Senese since 1933. In those days, everything before Porta Romana was considered to be the countryside, and only a few years later did it begin to build up until becoming one of the most residential (and loved) neighbourhoods in Florence.
I actually live here, in a little backstreet and so this pastry shop has been my staple since moving, but i’ve known about it for years – and I can tell you that it’s safe to say, I am not the only one to be utterly and completely obsessed with their Torta Iris. If you haven’t heard about it, let me just say it was invented by Ginevra Gualtieri’s great grandfather Alfredo as an ode to the city (the symbol of Florence is in fact the Iris flower), and the recipe (which is secret by the way) has remained unchanged since. Aesthetically it’s simple: a square shaped cake covered in a dark brown sugar glaze – but when you cut through it, you’ll see this soft, honey-hued sponge that is a mixture of dried and candied fruits. All we can say is that there’s pear, apricot and almonds – but that’s literally all we can say.
Pasticceria Gualtieri began, as the best things often do, with a love story. When Alina, who already ran three pastry shops across Florence with her five siblings, met Alfredo Gualtieri at the age of twenty, the two decided to start something of their own, setting up in a former candy store. The timing was not straightforward as the war arrived shortly after, bringing shortages, but they pulled through and in 1949 refurbished the shop. A few years later they had their first son Rolando, who grew up with his “mani in pasta“, or hands in the dough, as Ginevra puts it, and in time took over the business alongside his wife Anna, giving the shop another chapter and another restyling in 1972. The pattern repeated with her father Riccardo, who in 2014 developed an entirely dedicated vegan pastry line, the result of careful research and forward-thinking. Now Ginevra, the fourth generation, runs the pasticceria alongside her partner Giulio, lovingly safeguarding centuries-old recipes intact.
Beyond the Iris Cake, which is an institution, Pasticceria Gualtieri continues to produce Florence’s Zuccotto, with a slight twist on the original recipe. This dome-shaped sponge soaked in liqueur and filled with ricotta, chocolate and candied fruit is said to have various origins: some trace it to the kitchens of Catherine de’ Medici, while others attribute its distinctive helmet shape to the headgear worn by Florentine clergy. Whatever the truth, it is a quintessentially Florentine dessert that has largely disappeared from many of the city’s pastry shops. At Gualtieri, the recipe follows the traditional form with one considered substitution: rather than Alkermes, they use Mandarin Punch. Everything else remains intact, drawn from the family’s historic recipe archive: an actual paper manual, written by hand by Ginevra’s great grandfather.
Lo Zuccotto Fiorentino
Ingredients & Method (Serves 6)
Sponge cake
5 eggs
200g flour
150g sugar
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is voluminous and pale. Fold in the previously sifted flour using gentle movements from top to bottom, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour into a high-sided rectangular baking tin that has been buttered and floured, and bake for 25 minutes at 170°C. Once baked, leave to cool, turn out of the tin and freeze wrapped in cling film.
Filling and soaking syrup
500ml double cream
30g sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder to taste
Dark chocolate shavings, to taste
Mandarin Punch 250ml
Water 100/200ml
Whip the well-chilled cream with the sugar until firm. Remove one third of the whipped cream and fold in cocoa powder to taste, creating a chocolate cream as dark as you prefer. Set aside in the fridge. Mix the Mandarin Punch with water gradually until you reach the desired strength — more or less alcoholic, according to preference.
Assembly and finishing
Remove the sponge from the freezer and cut it lengthways into strips of 1cm thickness. Line a bowl of your desired size with the sponge strips, ensuring no gaps are left between them. Using a pastry brush, soak the strips from the outer edge inward, allowing the Mandarin Punch syrup to absorb fully into every strip.
Using a spoon or a piping bag, fill two thirds of the zuccotto with the plain whipped cream. Add the chocolate shavings, then finish with the chocolate cream until you are approximately 1cm from the edge. Close the zuccotto with the remaining sponge strips, covering it entirely, and brush with the remaining syrup. Place a plate on top as a lid and freeze overnight.
Remove from the freezer one hour before serving. Just before serving, invert the zuccotto onto a serving plate, remove the bowl and enjoy.
The Baker’s Edit: Florence
Pasticceria Gualtieri’s Ginevra Gualtieri on her favourite corners of the city
If a first-time traveller to Florence had to try one traditional sweet and one savoury product, what would it be? If I had to recommend one dessert to a tourist visiting Florence for the first time, it would definitely be our signature Iris Cake. It’s a dessert you’ll only find here, created by my great-grandfather Alfredo in honour of the symbol of our city, the iris flower. Its distinctive feature is a touch of iris rhizome hidden inside, which enhances and fixes the flavour in a unique way. If I were to recommend something savoury, it would undoubtedly be the unmissable experience of a lampredotto sandwich. My favourite is Nerbone at the Mercato Centrale, even for breakfast, with salsa verde or artichokes.
Besides supermarkets, are there any interesting alimentari or delicatessens where visitors can shop quality ingredients? For groceries, gastronomy and quality local products, I would recommend Pegna, a historic Florentine institution in the centre of the city.
What would be the “perfect” Pasticceria Gualtieri breakfast ? My perfect Florentine breakfast is a dito alla crema, also known as dito d’apostolo, whose shape resembles a finger, alongside the iconic budino di riso. We still make ours using the same moulds my great-grandfather used. And of course, an espresso or cappuccino.
Name two other pastry shops or bakeries you love in the city and why? My favourite pastry shop in Florence is Dolci e Dolcezze. It’s a magical place…the place of my dreams. Tiffany-coloured wooden counters, green marble, antique glass displays and pastries that, to me, are perfection. Beautifully colourful fruit tartlets with buttery, perfectly crisp shortcrust pastry; the chocolate cake, soft and creamy — my mouth waters just thinking about it; the tiramisù and individual zuppa inglese, among my favourites. Ilaria, Angelica and Lorenzo’s mother, is not only an exceptional pastry chef, she also makes a raspberry juice so good I’d get in the car right now just to drink it. Another favourite bakery/pastry shop is S.Forno, in the Santo Spirito neighbourhood. I love the aesthetic and everything they make, from sweet to savoury. Perfect for breakfast, an afternoon snack or takeaway.
Dinner with friends: Where do you go and what would you order? For dinner with friends, I’d go to Santo Bevitore. I’ve been going there since high school (my school was right across the street). The atmosphere is intimate yet electric, with very dim lighting and candlelit tables. My favourite dishes this year are the seafood soup and the carpaccio with roast sauce.