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Cassata

Australian Gourmet Traveller Italian cake recipe for cassata

By Gourmet Food Team
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 25 mins cooking plus standing
  • Serves 8
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Cassata
You will need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Ingredients

  • 5 eggs
  • 100 gm caster sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 100 gm (2/3 cup) plain flour, sifted
  • For brushing: limoncello
  • 1-2 drops green food colouring
  • 750 gm fondant icing (see note)
  • For dusting: icing sugar
  • To serve: shaved cedro and orange, and glacé fruit (see note)
Ricotta filling
  • 450 gm ricotta, drained (see note)
  • 120 gm caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 orange, finely grated rind only
  • 2 tsp limoncello
  • 150 gm finely chopped glacé fruit, such as orange, cedro and clementine
  • 50 gm good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Method

Main
  • 1
    Preheat oven to 180C. Whisk eggs in an electric mixer for 2 minutes, add sugar and whisk until pale and thick enough to hold a ribbon of mixture (8-10 minutes). Stir in vanilla, then gently fold through sifted flour. Divide among eight 1 cup-capacity buttered and floured metal moulds and bake until golden and centre springs back when lightly pressed (20-25 minutes). Cool on a wire rack.
  • 2
    For ricotta filling, process ricotta, sugar, vanilla, orange rind and limoncello in a food processor until smooth. Stir through candied fruit and chocolate. Refrigerate until required.
  • 3
    Halve cakes horizontally and brush cut sides with limoncello. Divide ricotta mixture over sponge bases and cover with tops. Refrigerate until required.
  • 4
    Knead 1-2 drops of food colouring into fondant icing until combined. Divide into 8 pieces and roll each out on an icing sugar-dusted surface to 4mm-thick. Place over sponges to cover and trim excess, refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Decorate with cedro and serve with candied oranges.

Notes

To drain, place ricotta in a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl in the refrigerator. Fondant icing is available from supermarkets. Cedro and glacé citrus fruit are available from
and David Jones Food Hall.

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