CLASSIC SICILIAN CASSATA

COMPOSITION

• (1 kg mould)
• almond paste with pistachio
• sponge cake
• sheep’s ricotta cream
• fondant
• candied fruit

ALMOND PASTE WITH PISTACHIO

• powdered sugar 425 g
• brown sugar fondant 250 g
• Bronte pistachio paste 33.75 g
• almond flour 250 g
• honey 87.5 g
• water 12.5 g

Soften the fondant with the water in a covered planetary mixer. Add the honey, powdered sugar, and almond flour. Add the pistachio paste and mix. Roll into a bar, cover with plastic wrap and keep it in a cool place out of the fridge.

SPONGE CAKE

• whole eggs 500 g
• egg yolk 250 g
• sugar 475 g
• flour 325 g
• potato starch 132.5 g
• white wine vinegar 11 g
• salt 2.5 g

In a planetary mixer mix the eggs with sugar, salt, and white wine vinegar. Beat by dripping in the yolks during the operation. Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix gently with the aid of a rubber spatula. Pour the mix into a pan (60 x 40 cm – h 4 cm) lined at the bottom with silicon paper and with the edges greased with spray. Bake for about 25 minutes at 170-175°C, keeping the valve closed until 5 minutes from the end; then open it and finish baking. Allow to cool. It is better to make the sponge cake a day before the cassata. The slight stiffening will facilitate the subsequent covering operation with the fondant. An fresh sponge cake is likely to break when spread with the spatula, resulting in evident imperfections.

SHEEP’S RICOTTA CREAM

• sheep’s ricotta 1000 g
• sugar 250-450 g
• dark chocolate chips 20 g

Drain the ricotta on a wire rack in the refrigerator at +4°C. This operation can take up to 48 hours. At the end of the process the ricotta should be soft but firm. Mix with sugar at a low speed in the planetary mixer and sieve. Add the chocolate chips.

ASSEMBLY

1.  Dust the mould with powdered sugar

2. Roll out the almond paste to a thickness of 0.5-0.7 cm

3. Cut the sponge cake and the almond paste, forming trapezoids with very steep sides

4. Arrange them, alternating the trapezoids of sponge cake and almond paste along the edge of the mould, joining the edges well, without leaving any cracks

5. Cut some strips of sponge cake and cover the bottom of the mould, laying them side by side without leaving any cracks. You can also use sponge discs cut to size. The ends of the strips must run slightly up the edges

6. Trim the excess part of the trapezoids with a knife

7. Fill the lined mould with ricotta cream, then level and sprinkle with “sacripantina” (pieces of sponge cake scraps)

8. Place a cake plate that is two sizes larger than the diameter of the mould (e.g. mould Ø 18 cm – plate Ø 22 cm), and apply pressure to the center. Flip and firmly press the mould with the cassata inside. Clean any ricotta cream that comes out from the edges of the mould. Any leakage means that too much cream or “sacripantina” (the sponge cake scraps) was used. Carefully remove the mould. Check joints and sticking points, carefully replace the mould and leave in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours

9. Melt the fondant in a bain-marie or in the microwave and cover the cassata

10. Decorate with candied fruit