Enjoy Southern Italian Sweetness this Easter: Cassata Siciliana Decorated Ricotta-Filled Sponge Cake — tastebook.com

This ornate cake is among the prettiest found in Palermo’s pastry shops. A must for Easter, the ricotta-filled cake decorated with marzipan, iced, and crowned with large pieces of candied fruit is found on pastry shop shelves year round. If Cassata al Forno is the country bumpkin made at home throughout the year, the Cassata Siciliana is its sophisticated city cousin, more often on order from a pasticceria. In Palermo, the cake is covered with a pourable fondant that home cooks would purchase already made, but after experimenting I found that the simple glaze I developed for the Sospiri works very well, remaining soft after it sets, as it should for this dessert. I also use my homemade almond paste in place of the typical marzipan; it’s less sweet and has the right texture.

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