Strawberry Cassata Food

STRAWBERRY CASSATA

Steps:

• Bake the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch diameter springform pan and set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs at medium speed. Add sugar, lemon zest, salt and almond extract and continue whisking for 10 to 15 minutes, until mixture is quite thick and nearly holds peaks. Fold in flour quickly.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer emerges dry when inserted in the middle of cake. Cool on a rack. (It's best to make the cake a day in advance.)
• Make the syrup: Simmer sugar, 1/2 cup water and the lemon zest over medium heat for 10 minutes. Cool, stir in grappa and set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together ricotta and sugar to a spreadable consistency.
• Slice cake into 4 thin layers. Put 1 layer on a cake platter. Paint generously with syrup and spread with a quarter of the ricotta filling. Repeat with remaining 3 layers, stacking as you go. Smooth top layer of ricotta cream.
• Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours. Keep refrigerated until an hour before serving.
• To serve, toss berries with sugar and lemon juice. Let macerate no more than 10 minutes, then spoon berries over cake.

STRAWBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Combine the eggs and 1 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl and beat on high speed with a handheld mixer until thick, pale and doubled in size, about 4 minutes. Add the yogurt, melted butter and vanilla; beat for another minute. Add the flour, baking powder and salt; mix until just combined, 30 seconds. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle the sliced berries on top. Pour the remaining batter over the berries; spread evenly once again. Top decoratively with the strawberry halves and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with honey whipped cream.

CASSATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
• To make the cake, beat the eggs preferably in an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and grated citrus peel and continue to beat until the beater leaves a ribbon-like trail, about 15 minutes. Fold in the flour by hand, one-third at a time.
• Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes then unmold and cool completely.
• To make the syrup: In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of warm water with the sugar and the liqueur. Stir the syrup until the sugar dissolves.
• To form the cassata: Slice the cake into 2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Trim the crusts from the cake then return one of the layers to the springform pan. Spoon half the syrup over the cake then spread a layer of ricotta crema on top. Repeat, carefully placing another layer of cake, drizzling with syrup then spreading with ricotta. Wrap the cake in plastic and chill it for at least 1 hour.
• To make the frosting: Sift half of the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add half of the lemon juice and all of the lemon extract. Stir the liquid into the sugar, breaking up any lumps. Sift the remaining sugar into the bowl and add the rest of the lemon juice. Thin the icing with a little water until it has a thin spreading consistency and forms smooth, shiny icing.
• Unwrap the cassata and invert it onto a serving plate. Ice the cassata then decorate it with whole and cut pieces of candied fruit. Chill the cassata for at least 3 hours, then slice and serve.

CASSATA

Steps:

• Place loaf pan 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, in freezer. Pour rum over candied fruit; let stand 1 hour.
• Remove loaf pan from freezer. Spread coffee ice cream in pan; freeze about 1 hour until firm.
• Cut cake into rectangle about 2 inches thick to fit loaf pan, 8 1/2x4 1/2 inches. Drain fruit, reserving rum. Drizzle reserved rum over cake; set aside. Spread maple nut ice cream over ice cream in pan; freeze about 1 hour until firm.
• Beat whipping cream and powdered sugar in chilled small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold in candied fruit. Spread whipping cream mixture over ice cream in pan. Top with rum-soaked cake, cutting pieces to fit pan. Cover and freeze about 8 hours or until firm. Loosen edges of cake from pan with knife; turn upside down to unmold cake.

CASSATA CAKE

Steps:

• 1. To make the filling, quickly whisk together 4 tablespoons of the milk with the flour. The slurry will be somewhat thick, so whisk thoroughly to make it smooth. Press out any lumps with a flexible spatula, if necessary.
• 2. Whisk in the rest of the milk and transfer the mixture to a 2-quart heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once bubbles that burp steam form, remove the pot from the heat and continue to stir for another 30 seconds.
• 3. Cover the milk mixture with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface. Cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
• 4. Meanwhile, combine the butter, sugar, citrus oil, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for up to 5 minutes.
• 5. Add the milk mixture and continue to beat on high speed until the filling is smooth, another 5 minutes. Beat in the ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon at a time.
• 6. Preheat the oven to 335°F and place the rack in the middle position. Line the bottoms of three 9-by-2- inch round pans with parchment.
• 7. Measure the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into one bowl, and the milk and vanilla into a separate bowl. Whisk each to combine.
• 8. In the standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed to a stiff peak. Drizzle in 1 cup of the sugar while the mixer is running. Scoop the meringue into a large bowl and set aside.
• 9. Lightly wipe the mixer bowl and replace the wire whip with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter with the remaining 1 cup of sugar on low speed.
• 10. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl all the way to the bottom using a flexible spatula and mix on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
• 11. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions.
• 12. Stop the mixer and gently fold the meringue into the batter with a flexible spatula. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• 13. Cool the cakes for 2 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edges and invert the cakes onto a flat surface. They will be very fragile, so handle them with care.
• 14. Assemble the extravagant cake by adding about 1 cup each of the fresh strawberries and the ricotta filling between the layers. Cover the outside of the cake with the whipped cream. Add more fresh strawberries around the edge of the cake if you like.

STRAWBERRY CASSATA

Steps:

• In bowl, combine sliced strawberries and sugar,set aside for juice to form.
• In large bowl, beat together ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of whipping cream, half the icing sugar and half the vanilla until fluffy.
• Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.
• Cut pound cake lengthwise into 6 slices,trimming edges to make even if desired.
• Brush layers with any juice from strawberries.
• Stir strawberries into cheese mixture.
• On square plate if possible, place 2 cake slices, side by side, spread with 1/2 the cheese mixture.
• Top with 2 more cake slices, spread with remaining cheese mixture.
• Top with remaining cake slices.
• Whip remaining whipping cream with remaining icing sugar and remaining vanilla.
• Spread over top and sides.
• Garnish with strawberries as desired (i. e. cut strawberries in half, stand up on cake with narrow end pointing upwards and garnish with mint leaves in middle, or fashion them in any pattern you may like). You could also use stencils to decorate and add a dusting of cocoa.