The baked Sicilian ricotta cassata is the less opulent and baroque version of the cake covered in glaze and candied fruit that we all know.

The baked version is actually older and is said to have been invented by the cooks of the Arab emir stationed in Palermo, who decided to cover the mixture of sheep ricotta and sugar or honey, which a farmer had invented naming it quas’at (basin), with a sheet of pastry to be baked in the oven.

So the first two ingredients that compose this fantastic dessert, namely the sheep ricotta and the shortcrust pastry, I’ve revealed; but what are the others? Chocolate chips and sponge cake crumbs that, placed above and below the ricotta, prevent the pastry from becoming soggy.

As always, there are many versions, and everyone claims that the proposed one is the original. I do not know if my version is the true recipe of the baked Sicilian ricotta cassata, but meanwhile, I tell you that the shortcrust pastry is made with lard (as per tradition), which makes the dough elastic, smooth, and perfect, that the ricotta is strictly sheep’s and that I have not used shortcuts like ladyfingers or biscuits, but I have prepared an excellent sponge cake.

If you want to try your hand at this masterpiece of Sicilian pastry, know that it is a simple dessert but still requires some steps, so you can split the work over 2 days.

READ THE TIPS AND NOTES AT THE END OF THE RECIPE.

OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:

Difficulty: Medium
Cost: Medium
Rest time: 2 Hours
Preparation time: 50 Minutes
Portions: 12 People
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Easter, Christmas

282.58 Kcal

calories per serving

Info Close

Energy 282.58 (Kcal)
Carbohydrates 40.25 (g) of which sugars 21.30 (g)
Proteins 7.44 (g)
Fat 11.12 (g) of which saturated 5.27 (g)of which unsaturated 4.75 (g)
Fibers 0.59 (g)
Sodium 44.96 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 70 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA^* and FoodData Central^** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.

^* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ^** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov

Ingredients

2.6 oz sugar
0.9 oz potato starch
1.8 oz all-purpose flour
4.4 oz eggs
vanilla
lemon zest
17.6 oz all-purpose flour
2 eggs (medium)
5.3 oz sugar
4.4 oz lard (or softened butter)
Half teaspoon baking powder
Half teaspoon baking ammonia
2 tbsp water
vanilla
28.2 oz sheep ricotta
5.3 oz granulated sugar
2.5 oz chocolate chips
3.5 oz sponge cake
ground cinnamon
powdered sugar

Tools

24 cm pastiera baking pan

Stand Mixer
Cake Pan

Steps

For the sponge cake, see here. Make it the day before, take the amount needed for the recipe, and freeze the rest for other preparations.

Put the ricotta with the sugar listed in the ingredients into a sieve or strainer placed inside a container. Stir slightly, cover, and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours. The next day, discard the whey and proceed to prepare the cream.
Sift the flour, add the vanilla, baking powder, and baking ammonia, and set aside.
In the bowl of the stand mixer, pour the powders and lard, mix with the paddle attachment.
Add the sugar, eggs, water, and knead. Form a dough ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Put the ricotta in a container and blend it with an immersion blender or pass it through a sieve; you need to obtain a smooth and lump-free cream. Add the chocolate chips and mix.
Roll out the pastry on a slightly floured surface and line the greased and lightly floured pan. Prick the bottom and sprinkle with sponge cake crumbs. Pour the ricotta cream and level.
Cover the ricotta cream with more sponge cake crumbs and close the surface with a disc of shortcrust pastry. Seal the edge well, make shallow cuts on the surface of the cake and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F for at least 50′.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan, then overturn and decorate with powdered sugar mixed with a little cinnamon. For decoration, you can use spaghetti laid on the surface forming diamonds or, if you have a lattice template for pies, place it over and dust. Finally, you can use strips of cardboard.