Stanley Tucci Designed a Savory ‘Cake’ Made Out of Cheese — Here's How to Get One

There’s one food group that’s better than dessert and deserves to be the centerpiece of more celebratory meals in all its decadent, creamy glory: cheese. 

Luckily, this holiday season it’ll be easy to make cheese the star of the show — whether you serve it as an appetizer or as part of your formaggi e frutta at the end — and it’s all thanks to Stanley Tucci and San Pellegrino. 

The London-based actor, cookbook author, and host of Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy teamed up with the 125-year-old Italian mineral water brand to design a limited-edition cheese “cake” that fans can order to enjoy at home. 

Dubbed S.Pellegrino & Stanley Tucci’s Holiday Cheese “Cake,” this four-tiered confection will feature four different cheeses, all sourced from Murray’s Cheese, a popular artisanal cheese shop and online retailer based in New York City. Each cheese included was hand-picked by Tucci, and whose taste can we really trust more?

The base of the cheese “cake” — and the largest wheel in it — is comprised of Cave Aged Reserve Cornelia, a cow’s milk cheese with a “rich, buttery taste and roasted peanut notes.” This variety starts as a mild toma from Point Reyes Farmstead in California, before being aged in Murray’s washed rind cheese caves to develop a more complex, nutty flavor profile with hints of freshly baked bread.

The middle layer is Murray’s Mini Brie, which has all the buttery texture and gentle, earthy notes you’d expect from the soft cow’s milk cheese. Stacked on top of the brie is La Tur, another soft and decadent cheese that’s easily spreadable — it has a beautifully crinkled exterior and melty center that Murray’s describes as like a “scoop of decadent ice cream melting from the outside in.” Made with a blend of cow, sheep, and goat's milk, this tangy and full-flavored cheese is fittingly from Italy (Piedmont, to be specific).

Perched on top of these three wheels is a star made of Buonatavola Provolone. This firm cow’s milk cheese from Northern Italy is noteworthy for its zesty — almost spicy — flavor, which seems fitting for something carved into the shape of a star.

The “cake” feeds about eight to 12 people, so it’s perfect for a small holiday party or big family dinner. Present it as an appetizer for everyone to snack on (we guarantee all your guests will be impressed), or bring it out along with dessert for anyone who doesn’t have a sweet tooth.

We won’t tell you what to do, but some tangy apricot jam would likely go well with any of the cheeses. Or if you have cranberry sauce at the ready, why not spoon that on top of a cracker and a wedge of brie? Serving something briny on the side, like olives, might be a good idea too, to help cut through all the rich cheese everyone will be enjoying.

This is far from Tucci’s first collaboration with San Pellegrino, having worked together for years on everything from a pasta meal kit to public appearances, yielding quite a few tasteful (and tasty) partnerships along the way. Each cheese “cake” also comes with a one-liter bottle of San Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water, a star-shaped cutter (holiday cookies anyone?), and San Pellegrino cocktail napkins — which might come in handy while you’re serving all that cheese.

Fans can order the “cake” starting on November 11 for $85 each through Murray’s website, at murrayscheese.com/dp/spellegrino while supplies are available.