CASSATA: THE QUEEN OF SICILIAN CAKES

The Sicilian Cassata is a stunning and delicious dessert, a true masterpiece of Italian pastry.

Its combination of sweetened ricotta, sponge cake, marzipan, and candied fruit makes it a feast for both the eyes and the palate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Authentic Sicilian Flavor: A blend of the island’s finest ingredients, from sweet ricotta to vibrant candied fruits.
• Visually Stunning: Its colorful and baroque decoration makes it a centerpiece-worthy dessert.
• Rich and Creamy: The ricotta cream filling is smooth, sweet, and dotted with chocolate chips and candied fruit.

Cooking Time

• Preparation: 1 hour
• Chilling Time: 4 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Filling

• 3.3 lb (1.5 kg) sheep’s milk ricotta
• 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Candied fruit (to taste), diced

For the Cake

• Sponge cake (cut into thin slices)
• Marzipan (rolled out to 0.2 inches thick)

For the Glaze

• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• Lemon juice (to taste)

For Assembly

• Apricot jelly (to taste)
• Candied fruit (for decoration)

METHOD

Start with the ricotta:

Sift the ricotta cheese and whisk with the sugar to obtain a soft, smooth and frothy cream.

Add the diced candied fruit and chocolate chips.

Use sponge cake and marzipan:

Cut the sponge cake into thin slices.

Roll out the marzipan with a rolling pin to a thickness of around 0.2 inches.

Assemble the cake:

Line a fluted cake tin with parchment paper and cover the bottom with slices of sponge cake (don’t leave any empty spaces!).

For the sides, use small rectangles of sponge cake and marzipan.

It’s best if they are of the same size and alternating colors.

Fill the cake:

Sprinkle the sponge cake with the sugar syrup and pour in the ricotta cream.

After leveling it, cover the whole surface with slices of sponge cake, then with a disc of parchment paper and finally with a cardboard one.

Put it in the fridge: Press lightly with your free hand to let the cream settle and put the cassata in the fridge. It must firm for a few hours.

Use sugar and lemon:

Prepare the glaze: sift the powdered sugar inside a bowl and, still mixing, dilute it with filtered lemon juice.

Pay attention to pour the juice a few drops at a time, until the glaze has reached the right density.

Prepare the apricot jelly:

Dilute the apricot jelly with a little water and melt it, keeping it on very low heat.

Take the cassata out of the fridge:

Take the cake and flip it onto a flat plate, leaving the cardboard disc.

Switch to the frosting:

Gently remove the paper and brush the entire surface with a thin layer of diluted jelly, then pour the glaze in the middle: spread it with a spatula, until covering the whole cassata.

 Decorate the cassata: The decoration with candied fruit should be done before the glaze dries; this way, the glaze itself will act as a glue!

The traditional decoration of the cassata is “baroque” and full of bright colors.

The strips of candied pumpkin (long, thin and curved) mimic the petals of a flower, while the other candied fruit should be arranged in harmony to cover the spaces.

Your cassata siciliana cake is now ready to served.

Cassata: The Queen Of Sicilian Cakes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Chilling Time 3 hours hrs

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

For the Filling

• 3.3 lb 1.5 kg sheep’s milk ricotta
• 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Candied fruit to taste, diced

For the Cake

• Sponge cake cut into thin slices
• Marzipan rolled out to 0.2 inches thick
• For the Glaze
• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• Lemon juice to taste

For Assembly

• Apricot jelly to taste
• Candied fruit for decoration

Instructions

 

Start with the ricotta:

• Sift the ricotta cheese and whisk with the sugar to obtain a soft, smooth and frothy cream.
• Add the diced candied fruit and chocolate chips.

Use sponge cake and marzipan:

• Cut the sponge cake into thin slices.
• Roll out the marzipan with a rolling pin to a thickness of around 0.2 inches.

Assemble the cake:

• Line a fluted cake tin with parchment paper and cover the bottom with slices of sponge cake (don’t leave any empty spaces!).
• For the sides, use small rectangles of sponge cake and marzipan.
• It’s best if they are of the same size and alternating colors.

Fill the cake:

• Sprinkle the sponge cake with the sugar syrup and pour in the ricotta cream.
• After leveling it, cover the whole surface with slices of sponge cake, then with a disc of parchment paper and finally with a cardboard one.
• Put it in the fridge: Press lightly with your free hand to let the cream settle and put the cassata in the fridge. It must firm for a few hours.

Use sugar and lemon:

• Prepare the glaze: sift the powdered sugar inside a bowl and, still mixing, dilute it with filtered lemon juice.
• Pay attention to pour the juice a few drops at a time, until the glaze has reached the right density.

Prepare the apricot jelly:

• Dilute the apricot jelly with a little water and melt it, keeping it on very low heat.

Take the cassata out of the fridge:

• Take the cake and flip it onto a flat plate, leaving the cardboard disc.

Switch to the frosting:

• Gently remove the paper and brush the entire surface with a thin layer of diluted jelly, then pour the glaze in the middle: spread it with a spatula, until covering the whole cassata.
• Decorate the cassata: The decoration with candied fruit should be done before the glaze dries; this way, the glaze itself will act as a glue!
• The traditional decoration of the cassata is “baroque” and full of bright colors.
• The strips of candied pumpkin (long, thin and curved) mimic the petals of a flower, while the other candied fruit should be arranged in harmony to cover the spaces.
• Your cassata siciliana cake is now ready to served.