Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Cassata Siciliana
The flamboyant king of Sicilian desserts. A sponge cake layered with sweetened ricotta and chocolate chips, encased in green marzipan, and covered in intricate royal icing and candied fruit.
- Prep
- 120 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 360 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- very hard
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 12 servings
- sponge cake (pan di spagna)
- sheep's milk ricotta
- powdered sugar
- dark chocolate chips
- marzipan (almond paste, tinted green)
- sugar syrup or liqueur (Strega or Maraschino)
- royal icing
- whole candied fruits (figs, cherries, citrus)
Equipment
- Cassata mold (sloped sides)
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Ricotta
Drain the ricotta overnight. Sieve it until silky smooth. Mix with powdered sugar and chocolate chips. Chill.
- 2
Prepare the Mold
Line a traditional sloped cassata mold (or a deep pie dish) tightly with plastic wrap.
- 3
Roll Marzipan
Roll out the green marzipan into a long strip. Line the sloped sides of the mold with the marzipan (often alternated with strips of sponge cake).
- 4
Layer Cake
Cut the sponge cake into slices. Line the bottom (which will become the top) of the mold with cake slices.
- 5
Soak
Brush the sponge cake generously with a simple syrup spiked with Strega or Maraschino liqueur.
- 6
Add Filling
Fill the center entirely with the sweet ricotta mixture, smoothing it out.
- 7
Seal
Place another layer of sponge cake over the ricotta. Brush with more syrup. Cover with plastic wrap and press a light weight on top.
- 8
Chill
Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours (or overnight) so the cake sets into a solid structure.
- 9
Unmold and Glaze
Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Pour a thin sugar glaze or royal icing over the top sponge cake layer.
- 10
Decorate
Decorate extravagantly in a baroque style using whole candied fruits and intricate piping of royal icing.
Cooking Tips
- The ricotta MUST be sheep's milk, and it MUST be sieved, otherwise the texture will be grainy and lack the characteristic tang.
- Cassata is meant to be intensely sweet and visually overwhelming, reflecting Sicily's Arab and Baroque history.
Variations
- Cassata al Forno: The older, baked version where the ricotta is baked inside a shortcrust pastry shell instead of sponge and marzipan.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Traditionally prepared for Easter, marking the end of Lenten fasting with maximum decadence.
Nutrition Estimate
550 calories · 12g protein · 75g carbs · 22g fat · 2g fiber per serving
