Sicilian Cassata Food

SICILIAN CASSATA: RICOTTA CAKE

Steps:

• Place the ricotta into a fine mesh sieve and nestle this over a bowl, place into the refrigerator overnight to allow the excess moisture to drain out before proceeding with the cassata recipe.
• Place the ricotta into the bowl of a mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until the curds smooth out. Mix the drained and beaten ricotta with 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, chocolate chips and half the candied fruit. Set aside.
• Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan with canola oil. Slice the sponge cake very thinly so that the springform may be lined with it in an even layer. Line the sides and bottom of the pan with the sponge cake. Pour the ricotta filling into the cake-lined pan. Place a final layer of cake over the ricotta filling; this now creates the bottom to the cassata. Before serving, the cassata will be inverted onto this cake bottom. Refrigerate the cassata overnight to firm the filling.
• Invert the springform pan on a wide platter. Open the hinge and remove the springform sides and bottom.
• The cassata may now be finished by either covering with a heavy coating of the remaining powdered sugar or may be coated with a thin layer of green marzipan. Either way, the remaining candied fruits should be used to decorate the finished cassata. Slice thinly and serve.

TRADITIONAL CASSATA SICILIANA

Steps:

• Take a small saucepan and place the water and sugar inside. Stir over low heat until the sugar begins to spin.
• Add the almond flour and the dye to the two main ingredients. Mix well, until you reach a certain homogeneity, then pour the result on a marble surface previously cleaned and moistened with plain water.
• Let cool and then work with your hands until you get a soft and smooth dough.
• The last step involves flattening the royal pasta with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 8 mm.
• This sheet of pasta reale should be done in pieces: many small rectangles as long as the edge of the mold.
• Drain the ricotta to remove most of the whey. If necessary, help yourself with something heavy to put on top and especially do this the night before, so you can leave the ricotta to drain overnight and find it thicker in the morning.
• When the ricotta is quite dry, add the sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Mix well and let it rest for about an hour in the fridge
• After the hour has passed, take the sieve and use it to process the ricotta cream. Finally complete by adding the zuccata and chocolate.
• Take the sponge cake and divide it into 3 disks. One will go on the bottom of the pan, which should be round with flared edges.
• At this point dissolve the sugar in the water, flavour the mixture with rum and wet the sponge cake with this syrup. Be careful not to "drown" the sponge cake. Take the second disk and cut it into rectangles of the same size as those prepared with the royal pastry.
• Place them on the edge of the pan, one on each side. The rectangles, which will form the edges of the cassata, must be one of sponge cake and one of Pasta Reale, alternating. In this way you will begin to get a chromatic variation.
• Now it's time to pour the ricotta cream into the mould. Do not crush it too much and cover it with the remaining circle of sponge cake. The cassata has taken shape. Let it rest for about an hour.
• Turn it upside down on a round cake mitt and devote yourself to the icing. Weigh 150 grams of icing sugar and melt them over low heat in a small ladle of water until the sugar becomes stringy and transparent. The glaze is ready to go!
• Pour it still hot over the cassata and spread the edges well, then pour the still-hot glaze over the cassata and pay special attention to the edges. Help yourself with a spatula so as not to miss any piece.
• Let cool and then decorate with candied fruit, following your creativity.

CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA

Steps:

• In a microwavable bowl, melt the butter.
• Add the coffee and the chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth. You might need to microwave the mixture a few short times to allow full melting of the chocolate chips.
• Once it's all melty and smooth, put the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice so it can cool down and firm up.
• Stir every 10-15 minutes to keep it smooth as it firms.
• Then start on the filling: Mix the ricotta with the sugar, orange zest and grated chocolate.
• After the pound cake has cooled, slice it into three horizontal layers.
• Drizzle the Grand Marier over all the layers.
• Then spread half the filling on the bottom layer, top with the next cake layer and spread with the remaining filling.
• Then top with the third layer of cake and spread the frosting on top and all over.
• Refrigerate until dinner.
• Drizzle the Gand Marnier.

SICILIAN CREAM CAKE (CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA)

Steps:

• Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla and liqueur in a bowl and blend thoroughly until smooth.
• Add chocolate and fruit; mix well.
• Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan (or a large pan or bowl) with cake slices.
• Turn ricotta mixture into lined mold.
• Cover the top with remaining cake slices.
• Refrigerate overnight, or place in freezer for several hours.
• To serve: If you used a pan or bowl as a mold, invert pan/bowl onto a serving platter, and remove mold.
• Sprinkle (lightly sift) confectioner's sugar over cake.
• If you used a spring form pan, remove sides of pan, leaving cake on the pan bottom, place on serving platter, sift confectioner's sugar over cake.
• Variation: If you prefer, you can frost the cake with sweetened whipped cream flavored with a little almond extract.

CASSATA SICILIANA

Steps:

• The day before, preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3/fan oven 140C. Brush a 25cm/10in springform cake tin with the melted butter and then dust with flour.
• Make the sponge. Using an electric mixer fitted with balloon whisks, beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and airy. The mixture should be thick enough to leave a ribbon trail on the surface when the whisks are lifted - it takes about 8-10 minutes to get to this stage. Gently fold in the flour and lemon zest using the whisks or a spoon, trying not to deflate the beaten eggs and sugar.
• Working quickly, transfer to the prepared cake tin and bake for about 30 minutes until firm to the touch (the cake should not have risen). Stand the tin on a wire rack and leave to cool, then remove the cake from the tin.
• Make the ricotta cream. Finely chop the crystallised fruits and frozen chocolate. Mix the ricotta with the sugar and gently incorporate the fruit and chocolate. Place in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the cake.
• Make the icing just before assembling the cake. Mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon milk, then add a drop of green food colouring to give the icing a subtle green tinge, and beat vigorously. You should have a spreadable paste with a thick, non-liquid consistency - you may need a little extra milk.
• Assemble the cake. Melt the jam with 1 tablespoon liqueur and 1 tablespoon water. Slice the sponge in half horizontally. Place the less perfect half on a flat serving plate and spread with half the jam mixture. Spread all the ricotta mixture on top. Spread the remaining jam mixture on the remaining sponge, then turn it over and put it jam side down on the ricotta cream. Spread the icing evenly across the top and smooth over with a palette knife, then place in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or for up to two days).
• On the day, a few hours before serving decorate the top of the cake with crystallised fruits, peel and angelica as the fancy takes you.

SICILIAN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING (CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA)

Steps:

• With a sharp, serrated knife, slice the end crusts off the pound cake and level the top if it is rounded. Cut the cake horizontally into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slabs.
• Rub the ricotta through a coarse sieve into a bowl with a wodden spoon and beat it with a rotary or electric beater until it is smooth. Beating constantly, add the cream, siugar and Strega.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped candied fruit and chocolate. Center the bottom slab of the cake on a flat plate and spread it generously with the ricotta mixture.
• Carefully place another slab of cake on top, keeping the sides and ends even, and spread some more ricotta. Repeat until all the cake slabs are reassembled and the filling has been used up- ending with a plain slice of cake on top.
• Gently press the loaf together to make it as compact as possible. Do not worry if it feels wobbly; chilling firms the loaf. Refrigerate the cassata for about 2 hours, or until the ricotta is firm.
• Chocolate Frosting:.
• Melt 12 oz. of chocolate with the coffee in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate has completely dissolved.
• Remove the pan from the heat and beat in the chilled butter, 1 piece at a time. Continue beating until the mixture is smooth. Then chill this frosting until it thickens to spreading consistency.
• With a small metal spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the top, sides and ends of the cassata, swirling it as decoratively as you can.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap, wax paper or foil and let cassata "ripen" in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving it.