🍰 Cassata siciliana
Cassata siciliana is a festive Sicilian cake made of layers of sponge soaked lightly in syrup and filled with sweetened ricotta. The whole cake is wrapped in a thin layer of green marzipan, covered with white icing and decorated with bright candied fruit. It is rich, creamy and very sweet, and is usually served in small slices, especially at Easter.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g sponge cake, sliced 1 cm thick
- 500 g ricotta, well drained
- 120 g sugar
- 150 g mixed candied fruit, plus extra to decorate
- 200 g marzipan, tinted green
- 200 g icing sugar mixed with 2–3 tbsp water
- 60 ml sugar syrup for brushing
Method
- Beat the ricotta with the sugar until smooth, then fold in half of the chopped candied fruit.
- Line a sloped 22 cm cassata tin (or a bowl) with a thin sheet of marzipan, then with sponge slices; brush the sponge with syrup.
- Fill with the ricotta cream, cover with more sponge, press lightly and chill for at least 3 hours.
- Turn out onto a plate, pour the icing over the top and decorate with candied fruit. Chill until serving.
How to make it lighter
- A thin slice of about 80 g instead of a full wedge cuts the portion by a third.
- Leave the marzipan border and extra candied fruit on the plate — they are almost pure sugar.
- Share one slice with coffee or tea rather than adding another dessert to the meal.
History
Cassata is closely tied to Palermo and is often linked to the Arab period in Sicily, when sugar cane and almonds became common on the island; the name is sometimes traced to the Arabic word qas'a, a bowl, though this is not certain. The ornate version with marzipan and candied fruit developed later in Sicilian convents and pastry shops.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →