Rolled Cassata Recipes

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:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and line with parchment paper 2 nine inch round layer pans.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside. Beat the egg yolks together on medium-high speed until very thick, about 4 minutes. Gradually add the cold water. Add 1- 1/4 cups of the white sugar, slowly, and beat well for about 3 more minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Sift the flour mixture over the egg yolk mixture and fold in.
• Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together until stiff peaks form. Fold this into the yolk mixture. Divide batter between the pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cool on rack for 10 minutes and then invert and cool completely.
• Cut each cake layer in half. Place one of the 4 halves on a cake board or plate and sprinkle with a little of the Rum Syrup. Spread about 1-1/2 cups of the Filling over this layer. Add a second layer of cake and repeat this procedure. Top the cake with the last layer of cake. Chill at least 4 hours. Spread Chocolate Glaze over top of cake.
• To Make Ricotta Cheese Filling: Beat the ricotta cheese well and add the confectioner's sugar and cinnamon. Add 1-1/2 teaspoons of the vanilla and grate 2 ounces of the chocolate in using the coarse side of a grater. Stir in the candied lemon peel and mix. Chill until ready to use.
• To Make The Rum Syrup: Place 1/3 cup of the sugar and the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil 1 minute and then remove from heat and add the rum. Cool to room temperature.
• To Make The Chocolate Glaze: Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate and the cream in the microwave, whisk smooth. Add the butter and whisk until dissolved. Cool mixture until spreadable. Spread over the top of the cake.

ROLLED CASSATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)/gas 4.
• For the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer, or by hand, until pale, fluffy and at least doubled in size. Sift in the flour, add the vanilla paste, then slowly fold through. Grease a 26-by-36-centimeter (10-by-14-inch) baking tray with butter, then line it with parchment paper and grease that, too. Spoon the batter into the tray and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
• Meanwhile, blitz the pistachios in a food processor until fine. Break in the marzipan and blitz until it forms a dough, adding a splash of water to combine, if needed.
• Take the sponge out of the oven and confidently flip it out on to a clean tea towel. Peel off the parchment paper, place it back on top, then roll up while the sponge is still warm and flexible. Leave to cool for around 20 minutes.
• For the filling, whiz the ricotta with the sugar in a food processor until smooth. Toast the hazelnuts in a frying pan until golden, then finely chop with the candied fruit, pistachios and chocolate. Mix into the ricotta.
• Roll out most of the marzipan on a large sheet of parchment paper to 26 by 46 centimeters (10 by 18 inches), and 2 millimeters (1/16 inch) thick. Spread over the jam, unroll the sponge on top, drizzle over the Vin Santo and spread over the ricotta. Line up the cherries along the side nearest you, then, using the paper to help you, roll it up, pressing lightly to seal. Trim the ends, then roll out the remaining marzipan and stamp out shapes to decorate the top. Serve it after 30 minutes, chilling in the fridge, or freeze for another day. If frozen, defrost in the fridge for 3 hours before serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar to finish.

SICILIAN CASSATA

Steps:

• Start preparing the Sicilian cassata the day before serving. Make the sponge cake and bake it in a rectangular jelly roll pan measuring 10" x 14" (35 cm x 25 cm) 1 and let it cool (we prepare it a day ahead so it can be cut without crumbling too much). Drain the ricotta cheese well, using a sieve 2 , then mix it in a bowl with the vanilla-flavored powdered sugar 3 : cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight.
• The next day, sieve the ricotta cheese twice 4 until a smooth, soft cream is obtained. Add the chocolate chips 5 (and, if you like it, the candied orange cut into small cubes) to the cream and place the filling obtained in the refrigerator in a bowl covered with plastic wrap. Prepare the green marzipan by kneading together the marzipan and the pistachio paste 6 (if you can't find it, use green food coloring), dusting the worktop with a little powdered sugar. If you want to prepare the marzipan yourself, put 1/2 cup (125 gr) of sugar and 3 1/2 T (50 ml) of water in a pan. Bring to a boil and as soon as the sugar starts to spin (soft-ball stage, 235-240° F) (112-115° C), remove the saucepan from the heat; add 1 1/4 cup (125 g) of peeled almond flour (which you can obtain by blending peeled almonds with a coffee grinder in short pulses so as not to overheat them and release their oil), the pistachio paste and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and homogeneous, then pour the mixture out on a cold marble surface. As soon as the marzipan is cooled, knead it until smooth and compact (use powdered sugar in the same way as flour, if needed, to keep it from sticking).
• Roll out the marzipan into a sheet 5" (12 cm) wide and 1/4" (1/2 cm) thick 7 , then cut it in half lengthwise (you will obtain two 2.5" (6 cm) wide strips) and cut out pieces of marzipan in the shape of a trapezoid 8 . For the cassata you will need a round cake pan with flared edges about 2" (5 cm) deep and with a slightly raised bottom, typically from Palermo: the one used in this recipe has a 12" (30 cm) diameter in its widest part. Cut the pan di Spagna (sponge cake) into strips at least 2.5" (6 cm) thick from which you will also cut trapezoids (because the edges of the cake pan are flared) 9 .
• Dust the cake pan generously with powdered sugar 10 , then line the edges alternating the pan di Spagna (sponge cake) trapezoids with those of green marzipan 11 , pressing well against the sides and being careful not to leave spaces between one and the other. If the piece just laid down has the upper side wider than the lower one, the following one must be the opposite 12 . The trapezoids can be positioned either with the dark side facing outwards or inwards (see video).
• Once the entire perimeter of the cake pan has been completed, the bottom can be placed with the spongy part downwards 13 . Press the edges of the pan di Spagna (sponge cake) well to make it stick better to the shape of the cake pan 14 . Now, with a knife with a smooth, sharp blade, you can even out the pieces sticking out from the side edges of the cake pan 15 .
• If you want you can prepare the syrup for the pan di Spagna (sponge cake): dissolve 1/4 cup (50 g) of sugar in 2/3 cup (150 ml) of water, together with the rind of half a lemon (or orange) and half a shot of liqueur of your choice (maraschino, Cointreau, Alkermes, Strega, etc.) and let it cool. Now you can fill the base with the ricotta cheese cream and level with a spatula 17 . Crumble the leftover pan di Spagna (sponge cake) on the bottom of the cassata 18 , cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least two to three hours (better if overnight).
• When the cassata is nice and compacted and the flavors have blended, turn it upside down on a plate 19 and prepare the fondant icing. Place the powdered sugar in a small pot with a little water 20 , just enough to make a creamy, still white mixture. As soon as it comes to a boil, the fondant will be ready to be poured into the center of the cassata 21 and spread with a spatula.
• Do the same on the sides of the cassata: as you will notice, the fondant will dry almost instantly as soon as it is spread, with a glossy and transparent consistency 23 . Now you can move on to decorating the cassata: cut strips of zuccata (candied pumpkin) and other candied fruit into pieces. Place the slices of zuccata (candied pumpkin) on the cassata curving them as if to form the petals of a flower in the center of which you can put, for example, a candied mandarin orange cut in half (23-24).
• Have fun decorating the cassata with the candied fruit available, alternating different colors 25 . The final touch will be the decoration with the icing, which you can make by beating an egg white and slowly adding powdered sugar to obtain a very thick texture. With a piping bag fitted with a narrow tip, create decorations both on the fruit 26 and on the edges of the cassata 27 to make it even richer and more sumptuous. Now your magnificent Sicilian cassata is ready to be enjoyed!

SICILIAN CASSATA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325F.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks; adding sugar gradually.
• Add butter.
• Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk; mix.
• Add vanilla and mix.
• Fold in beaten egg whites.
• Pour batter into greased and floured 10X16-inch jelly roll pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• DO NOT over bake as it will not roll.
• Turn out onto a clean dish towel sprinkled thickly with powdered sugar.
• Trim off all edges with a knife.
• Roll the cake in a towel and let stand a few minutes.
• While you let the cake, prepare the filling.
• Put ricotta cheese through a sieve to remove all lumps.
• Add cream, sugar, cinnamon and liqueur and beat until smooth.
• Fold in candied fruit, nuts and chocolate chips.
• Unroll the towel and spread with filling.
• Reroll and refrigerate for 4 hours to"ripen".
• Slice when ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar.