Traditional Cassata Cake Recipe

The first thing you need to do is to gather up the ingredients needed for this recipe. You will need to get powdered sugar, whole milk ricotta, and vanilla bean paste to start. For a little bit of zest, add two lemons to your list. For a hint of sweetness, grab some semi-sweet chocolate chips and some chopped candied fruit to mix in with the ricotta. You'll also want some more visually striking candied fruit to top the cake. Here, Rapone used candied oranges and cherries.

The recipe also calls for a round sponge cake. "The already-made sponge can be purchased at Whole Foods or at most Italian bakeries (you should probably call ahead first to make sure they have it!)," Rapone says. That said, if you're feeling ambitious and want to make your own, this easy Victoria sponge cake would work well too. The remaining ingredients include shelled pistachios, marzipan, sugar, and water. Once you have everything gathered together, it's time to begin.

Take out a small pan and add a cup of sugar followed by a cup of water and the juice from one lemon. Put the pan onto the stove and crank up the heat to medium-high. Continue cooking the mixture until the sugar melts completely, stirring to make sure that the ingredients are dissolving evenly. Take the pan off of the heat and set it to the side.

Get out a springform pan and line it with plastic wrap by crisscrossing two pieces and laying the wrap assembly into the bottom of the pan (making sure that the sides are covered, too). Next, take out the sponge cake and cut it into ¼ inch slices. Set those to the side as well. Now, the truth is that you won't need the cake or springform right away, but you'll be grateful that it's ready in just a few steps, we promise! 

Now, grab either a food processor or a high-powered blender and process the pistachios until they turn into a fine crumb. Then, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the sugar syrup as you blend until paste forms.

Once you have got your paste, add the pistachio-sugar mixture to the marzipan. Use your hands to knead this into the marzipan and create a green paste. "I had to do some research for what makes a Cassata cake "traditional," says Rapone. "I thought, instead of going through the more extensive process of making homemade pistachio marzipan, I would try mashing up pistachios and marzipan, and it totally worked. I really love the flavor too, especially compared to traditional marzipan."

Now, it's time to make use of your remaining sugar syrup. Brush it over the sponge cake in an even layer. Then, carefully spoon half of the ricotta over the now-syrupy sponge cake. Add another layer of sponge cake slices on top of this. This time, it's okay if there are any gaps. Then, layer on the remaining ricotta.

Cover the ricotta layer with more strips of sponge cake, then pull the pieces of plastic wrap hanging over the sides of the pan back and over the cake. If it doesn't cover your cake completely, simply add another layer. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight to set.

Take the cake from the fridge and pull off the top layer of plastic wrap. Then, place a plate over the cake and flip it over. Remove the outer ring of the springform pan and carefully remove the plastic wrap.

Then, spread the lemon glaze on the top of the cake. While the glaze is still wet, decorate it with pieces of candied fruit. "I had to order the prettier candied fruit for the top decorations on Amazon but read both Turkish and Italian important grocery stores will often have it," Rapone notes. As for the exact type of fruit you'll use here, that's really up to you. "We like the flavors of the cherries and pineapples," says Rapone, "and the look of orange peels (but end up picking them off since they are a little bitter)." 

As for leftovers? Little could be easier than managing that. Simply wrap the remaining cake up again with plastic wrap and pop it back in the fridge, where it will be good for up to five days.