Cassata siciliana (Sicilian ricotta sponge cake)
Sponge soaked in orange juice, layered with sweet chocolate flecked ricotta and wrapped in green marzipan. Sicily's showpiece for Easter.
- Time2 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.05 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Line a 900 g loaf tin with cling film, leaving plenty hanging over the sides.
- 2
Push the ricotta through a sieve into a bowl, then beat in 100 g icing sugar and the vanilla until smooth. Fold in the chocolate and candied peel. Chill.
10 min - 3
Slice the cake into slabs about 1 cm thick. Mix the orange juice and liqueur and brush it generously over every slice.
- 4
Knead the green colouring into the marzipan until even, then roll out between two sheets of baking parchment into a rectangle about 3 mm thick. Cut strips and use them to line the sides and ends of the tin, pressing the joins together.
- 5
Layer cake slices and ricotta cream in the tin, starting and ending with cake, pressing down gently as you go. Trim the top level and fold over any marzipan that overhangs.
- 6
Cover and chill overnight, or at least 6 hours, so it sets firm.
360 min - 7
Turn out onto a plate and peel off the film. Mix 150 g icing sugar with the water to a thick pourable glaze. Spoon it over the top, then decorate with glace cherries. Slice with a sharp knife.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
