The sweet casatiello is a very ancient recipe typical of my area, the coastal towns at the foot of Vesuvius.
Just like the savory casatiello, the sweet casatiello is also typical of the Easter period and in many areas it is also called Pigna or Easter Tortano.
The traditional recipe requires very long proofing times using the “criscito“, the Neapolitan term for sourdough starter, which has the advantage of keeping the product soft for several days.
However, it is possible to prepare the sweet casatiello using common baker’s yeast without necessarily altering either the texture or the flavor, which vaguely recalls that of pastiera thanks to the orange blossom essence in the dough.
Making it means bringing grandmothers’ secrets back into the kitchen: the sound of the whisks and that magic that bursts out when white icing drips thickly down the sides of the cake, ready to be showered with sprinkles and colorful chocolate eggs.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s COOK and EAT!!
See also
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 50 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients for the starter:
- 1 1/4 cups Manitoba flour
- 5 fl oz water (about 2/3 cup)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 packet (7 g / 2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast (or 21 g fresh baker's yeast)
- 3 cups Manitoba flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup butter, softened (softened)
- 2 tbsp Strega liqueur (or limoncello)
- 1 zest of 1 orange
- 1 zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 vial orange blossom essence (vial)
- 2 cups powdered sugar (for the icing)
- 1 egg white (about 35 g / 1.2 oz)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- as needed sugar pearls (colored)
- as needed milk chocolate candy eggs (colored)
Tools:
- 1 Stand Mixer
- Piping Bag
- Pan conical
Preparation:
To prepare the sweet casatiello, start by making the starter.
In a bowl, mix together the flour and the dry yeast, add the water and the honey and use a fork to combine all the ingredients.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for one hour.
At the end of this first rise, in another bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar using an electric mixer. Then add the starter, the sifted flour and the salt. Continue to knead at medium speed for about a couple of minutes, then start adding the softened butter in small pieces, the orange and lemon zests, the vanilla extract, the vial of orange blossom essence and the liqueur.
Continue working the dough until it is smooth and homogeneous.
At this point, butter and flour a conical pan with a diameter of about 8 2/3 in (22 cm).
Transfer the dough into the pan and set it to rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place away from drafts.
Proofing is complete when the dough is about two centimeters (about 3/4 in) below the top edge of the pan.
Obviously the rising time varies depending on the ambient temperature but, in general, it will take about 4–5 hours.
Bake the sweet casatiello in a conventional oven preheated to 320°F (160°C) for about 50 minutes, always testing with a skewer to check that the center is cooked through.
Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare the royal icing to decorate your sweet casatiello.
In a bowl, with an electric whisk, beat the egg white (preferably pasteurized) with the powdered sugar and the lemon juice until you obtain a glossy white icing.
Unmold the sweet casatiello and, using a piping bag, decorate the top with the royal icing.
Before the icing dries, cover it with rainbow sprinkles and colored candy eggs.
Sweet casatiello is generally eaten at Easter Sunday breakfast 😉.
Storage
To store the sweet casatiello, wrap it in plastic wrap or keep it under a cake dome. Keep it in a cool, dry place (not in the fridge). Consume within 3–4 days.
