There is no dispute that the original recipe of Sicilian cassata can be considered a world heritage site. Even those who don't particularly love it, in front of a rich and colorful cassata can only bow down as a sign of devotion.
Sweet symbol not only of Palermo , but of the whole of Sicily, cassata is known all over the world. And they appreciate it all over the world, so much so that it is not uncommon to see fleets of tourists looking for it (together with cannoli , brioche with tuppo and all the other goodies of Sicilian pastry ) once they set foot on the island. But beyond the goodness of such a representative dessert, aren't you curious to know what lies behind its creation? Why is cassata called like this ? And who invented it? We reveal everything to you. But just everything.
What is Sicilian cassata
This is a question that shouldn't even be asked, but if there is still someone who doesn't know it, we have to fix it. The Sicilian cassata is the dessert par excellence of Sicilian pastry. It is a stuffed cake made up of layers of sponge cake interspersed with a ricotta cream , candied fruit and chocolate drops, covered with a layer of marzipan (similar to marzipan ) and decorated with icing sugar (as if that weren't already enough present) and candied fruit in large pieces. If one thing is certain, it is that in front of a cassata, silence can only fall.
Why is cassata called like that?
Like many Sicilian preparations and customs, even in this dessert there is the hand of the Arabs , who have dominated the land for a long time and have left a lot of influence on it. And it probably owes its name to the Arabic qas'at , "basin" or according to others to the Latin term caseum , "cheese". With reference to the first term, legend has it that one night a shepherd decided to mix sheep ricotta (and which one, if not?) with sugar or honey. And that he later decided to call this preparation "quas'at" from the name of the bowl in which he had mixed the ingredients.
The term "cassata" is read for the first time in the fourteenth century: it was used in the Declarus of Angelo Sinesio, who attributed to this word the definition "food composed of bread dough and cheese".
Who invented the Sicilian cassata?
If, as we have seen, the foundations of cassata can be found in the period of Arab domination, the sweet we know today is the result of a long evolution, made up of changes that have taken place over the years. Surely the last piece of this long and tangled story was placed by the invention of marzipan at the Martorana convent in Palermo . But even earlier, in the 18th century, the initial shortcrust pastry was replaced by sponge cake.
The cassata as we know it today was "codified" in 1873 by the Palermo pastry chef Salvatore Gulì. With this term, to tell the story, until 1853 we referred to the variant cooked in the oven. The traditional one made its official appearance at the end of the 19th century.
Why is cassata green?
In such a colorful dessert, one detail cannot fail to catch the eye. Why is cassata green? Probably for the marzipan topping. Marzipan - which differs from almond paste in that there are no egg whites - involved replacing part of the almonds with pistachios . This was therefore green due to the presence of this type of dried fruit. Gradually abandoned due to its not exactly cheap cost.
Sicilian cassata, the original recipe
But here we are at the original recipe which, don't get discouraged, is long and involves several phases, but which will repay you for all the sweat you poured at the first taste.
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
- 4 eggs
- 200 g of granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons of boiling water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 200 g of flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
For the ricotta cream
- 700 g of fresh sheep ricotta
- 400 g of granulated sugar
- 100 g of candied orange peel
- 100 g of dark chocolate drops
- 300ml of water
- 200 g of sugar
- 100 ml of Marsala (or sweet liqueur of your choice)
- 250 g of almond paste
For the sugar glaze
- 300 g of icing sugar
- 180ml of water
To decorate
- orange peels
- squash
- candied cherries
Preparation
sponge cake
- Start with the sponge cake : preheat the oven to 160°C. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, lemon zest and salt with an electric mixer until you obtain a light and frothy mixture.
- Add the boiling water and then the sifted flour with the baking powder. Whip the egg whites until stiff and incorporate them into the dough without letting them disassemble.
- Pour them into a greased and floured 24 cm diameter pan. Level well and cook for 30-35 minutes in a hot oven.
- Then remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.
Ricotta Cream
- Move on to the preparation of the filling, i.e. the ricotta cream : sift it and mix it with the sugar.
- Let it rest in the fridge for a few hours, placing it over a strainer so that it releases part of the liquid.
- Once this is done, add the ricotta and candied fruit as well as the chocolate chips. Mix well.
- Now prepare a syrup by dissolving the sugar in 300 ml of hot water. Once cold, add the Marsala. Keep aside.
Cake assembly
- Wrap the pan used for cooking the sponge cake with transparent film.
- Cut the sponge cake into slices one centimeter thick and use them to cover the bottom and edges. Wet with the syrup.
- Spread part of the filling and cover with slices of sponge cake. Wet again. Repeat the operation and complete with the slices of sponge cake.
- Transfer to the fridge for a few hours. The following day, remove the transparent film and place the cake on a flat surface.
Decoration
- Work the marzipan with your hands for a few minutes, then roll it out with a rolling pin and cover the cake. Cut a long strip or small strips of marzipan to coat the sides.
- Prepare the glaze by boiling the water and adding the sugar until you get a thick mixture.
- Spread it quickly on the surface and on the sides with the help of a wet spatula.
- Complete the decoration of the cassata with the arrangement of candies.
Photo Credit | Facebook Snack Inn
storage
How long does Sicilian cassata keep ? Once ready or purchased, the cassata can last in the fridge, suitably covered, for 4-5 days. You can also wrap it in cling film or place it under a glass bell jar. Same storage time if you want to know how long it lasts in the fridge .
Cassata calories
Another, very popular, question for those who want to hurt themselves. How many calories does a slice of cassata have? A portion of cassata weighing about 150 g provides just under 450 calories , 425 to be precise.
Cash box price
The price of cassata arouses no less interest. To those wondering how much it costs, let's say that of course the cost of the dessert varies from pastry shop to pastry shop, but which amounts to approximately 30 euros per kg. By the way: on Sicilyaddict you can easily buy it online , together with the baked one .
The variants of the Sicilian cassata
We have already mentioned the variations of the dessert, but it is worth investigating their characteristics, whether or not the traditional one does not reflect your preferences. And then, in addition to being able to prepare it with the Thermomix and in the simple version without icing , the Sicilian cassata is also available in the following forms.
Sicilian cassata ice cream
That is in the form of an ice cream cake, filled with cassata ice cream and studded with chocolate drops. With sponge cake base but less often. And just as enjoyable as well as an excellent choice during the summer.
Baked Sicilian cassata
We can define it as the simple Sicilian cassata . Both in terms of its preparation and its composition. Someone likes baked cassata even more than the traditional one. In this case it is a sort of tart filled with ricotta cream wrapped in a shell of shortcrust pastry.
Photo Credit | Dedda71 , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons