Cassata siciliana is a cake of sweetened sheep's-milk ricotta, chocolate drops and sponge, covered in marzipan and candied fruit; it began as a sweet of Sicilian nuns reserved for Easter.

A widespread but unproven opinion traces cassata to Arab rule in Sicily; the word is first documented in the 14th century. The oldest form is a pastry shell filled with sweetened ricotta and baked, the cassata al forno still made around Palermo. Marzipan, said to be an invention of the nuns of the Martorana convent, later replaced the shell, and the Spanish brought chocolate. The glaze and candied fruit decoration was introduced in 1873 by the Palermo pastry chef Salvatore Gulì, according to Italian Wikipedia.

Where to eat Cassata Siciliana in Palermo

3 editor picks for Cassata Siciliana in Palermo, ranked by editorial score. All Palermo signature dishes · Cassata Siciliana across every city.

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Sicilian Cooking Class★ 5.0 (315)

Viator · 4.5 h

Sicilian Cooking Class

The Sicilian Pantry is a family run cookery school located in the heart of the Historical centre of Palermo. We offer daily market tours & cookery lessons of tradition...

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Make it at home

Serves 1224 hrAdvanced

Ingredients

  • 1 round pan di Spagna sponge, 24cm diameter, 5cm tall
  • 500g sheep's-milk ricotta, drained 24 hours
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
  • 150g pistachio flour
  • 300g marzipan
  • Green food colouring (or natural pistachio paste)
  • 200g candied fruit (orange, citron, cherry)
  • 200g icing sugar for glaze
  • Marsala wine for soaking

Method

  1. Beat the drained ricotta with icing sugar until smooth. Fold in chopped chocolate.
  2. Slice the sponge horizontally into three layers. Brush each with Marsala.
  3. Roll the marzipan with green colouring into a strip 5cm tall and long enough to circle the inside of a 24cm cake tin. Press it against the tin sides.
  4. Layer sponge, ricotta cream, sponge, ricotta cream, sponge into the marzipan-lined tin. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours.
  5. Unmould onto a serving plate. Whisk icing sugar with a little water to a flowing glaze; pour over the top to coat.
  6. Decorate with candied fruit pieces in a traditional pattern. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Editor tip. Sheep's-milk ricotta is structurally different from cow; if you can only find cow ricotta, drain it overnight in a cheesecloth-lined sieve to lose extra liquid.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Eggs, Nuts.