Best Sicilian Cake With Chocolate Frosting Cassata Alla Siciliana Recipes

CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA

Cassata Alla Siciliana image

I made this for my friend Lori's Mother's birthday dinner. It was on a Friday night after a very busy week. I made a pound cake and then dressed it up, jiffy quick, in an hour and refrigerated until dinner. Beautiful, easy, and homemade, very chocolaty but not too sweet. I am not a dessert maker so if I can do this...so can anyone. The original recipe came from Ciro and Sal's restaurant in P'Town.

Provided by Penny Stettinius

Categories < 4 Hours

Time 1h1m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 cake (pound cake)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup espresso (or very strong coffee)
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 orange, zest of
4 ounces milk chocolate candy bars, grated
4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Steps:

In a microwavable bowl, melt the butter.
Add the coffee and the chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth. You might need to microwave the mixture a few short times to allow full melting of the chocolate chips.
Once it's all melty and smooth, put the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice so it can cool down and firm up.
Stir every 10-15 minutes to keep it smooth as it firms.
Then start on the filling: Mix the ricotta with the sugar, orange zest and grated chocolate.
After the pound cake has cooled, slice it into three horizontal layers.
Drizzle the Grand Marier over all the layers.
Then spread half the filling on the bottom layer, top with the next cake layer and spread with the remaining filling.
Then top with the third layer of cake and spread the frosting on top and all over.
Refrigerate until dinner.
Drizzle the Gand Marnier.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 590, Fat 49.8, SaturatedFat 30.5, Cholesterol 121.9, Sodium 83.2, Carbohydrate 29, Fiber 1.5, Sugar 24.2, Protein 10.4

SICILIAN CREAM CAKE (CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA)

Sicilian Cream Cake (Cassata alla Siciliana) image

This is a "no bake" variation of a very rich, traditional Italian dessert. Since it uses store bought sponge cake as a base, it is very easy to put together. Prep time does not include overnight refrigeration time.

Provided by Dee514

Categories Dessert

Time 15m

Yield 1 Cake, 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

2 lbs ricotta cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 ounce maraschino cherries or 1 ounce your favorite flavor liqueur
2 tablespoons shredded sweet chocolate or 2 tablespoons miniature chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped candied fruit
1 sponge cake, cut into 1 inch slices
confectioners' sugar (for sifting over unmolded cake)

Steps:

Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla and liqueur in a bowl and blend thoroughly until smooth.
Add chocolate and fruit; mix well.
Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan (or a large pan or bowl) with cake slices.
Turn ricotta mixture into lined mold.
Cover the top with remaining cake slices.
Refrigerate overnight, or place in freezer for several hours.
To serve: If you used a pan or bowl as a mold, invert pan/bowl onto a serving platter, and remove mold.
Sprinkle (lightly sift) confectioner's sugar over cake.
If you used a spring form pan, remove sides of pan, leaving cake on the pan bottom, place on serving platter, sift confectioner's sugar over cake.
Variation: If you prefer, you can frost the cake with sweetened whipped cream flavored with a little almond extract.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 621.4, Fat 21.8, SaturatedFat 13.2, Cholesterol 154.9, Sodium 313.1, Carbohydrate 86.4, Fiber 0.5, Sugar 63.5, Protein 21.2