CASSATA

Hubby did it again! Another delicious Italian dessert he makes about once or twice a year. He was joking and said he is now going to teach cake decoration! 😅😅 From 'The Food of Italy' cookbook.

INGREDIENTS
400g Madeira or pound cake
4 Tbsp sweet Marsala
500g ricotta
110g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
200g mixed candied fruit (orange, lemon, cherries, pineapple, apricot), chopped
50g dark chocolate, chopped
green food coloring
200g marzipan
2 Tbsp apricot jam
300g icing sugar

METHOD:
Line a 20cm round cake tin with sloping sides or a bowl with cling film.
Cut the cake into thin slices to line the tin, reserving enough pieces to cover the top at the end.
Fit the slices of cake carefully into the tin, making sure there are no gaps.
Sprinkle the Marsala over the cake in the tin.

Put the ricotta in a bowl and beat until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
Add the candied fruit and the chocolate and mix well. Spoon into the mould, smooth the surface and then cover with the reserved slices of cake.
Cover with cling film and press the top down hard.

Put the cassata in the fridge for at least two hours or preferably overnight, then unmould onto a plate.

Knead enough green food colouring into the marzipan to colour it light green.



Roll out the marzipan in a circle until it is large enough to completely cover the cassata.

Melt the jam in a small saucepan with a tablespoon of water and brush over the cassata. 

Lift the marzipan over the top and trim it to fit around the edge.

Mix the icing sugar with a little hot water to make a smooth icing that will spread easily. Either pipe the icing onto the cassata in a decorative pattern, or drizzle it over the top in a crosshatch pattern.

Serves 12

VARIATIONS:

If you want to make your own sponge cake, like the Italians do, you can use the following recipe. In Italy they call it Pan di Spagna.

Ingredients:

butter for greasing

85g plain flour

75g cornflour

a pinch of salt

1 tsp baking powder

6 eggs, separated

180g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

grated zest of 1/2 lemon

Syrup

350ml water

80ml rum

2 Tbsp caster sugar

3 slices of orange rind

3 slices of lemon rind

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180C. 

Lightly grease a 25cm round cake tin with butter and line with greaseproof paper.

Sift the flours, salt and baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gradually fold the flours, egg whites and lemon zest into the egg yolk mixture until well combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, until risen and golden. Do not open the oven door during cooking as this will make the cake sink. Leave the cake to cool, then remove from the tin and cut horizontally into two layers.

Place the syrup ingredients in a small pan and cook over a medium heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved, the liquid has reduced a little and the flavours have infused. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Discard the citrus rinds, then drizzle the syrup over the sponge halves. Leave to soak into the sponge for at least one hour, overnight if possible. Use instead of the Madeira cake.