The SWEET CASATIELLO is a leavened cake typical of the Neapolitan Easter tradition: soft, fragrant and full of aromas that immediately bring to mind the festive season. Made with simple ingredients such as flour, eggs, sugar and butter, this cake charms for its tender texture and its intense scent of citrus and vanilla.
After a long leavening that makes it light and airy, the sweet casatiello is baked in a tall pan and then covered with a glossy white glaze, decorated with colorful sugar confetti that give it a cheerful, festive look. The contrast between the soft dough and the slightly crunchy glaze makes every slice particularly indulgent.
Perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack during the Easter holidays, the sweet casatiello is a symbol of conviviality and tradition, a cake that brings the aroma and warmth of Southern Italian cooking to the table.
It is believed that the first sweet casatiello was eaten on the island of Procida. Over the years, as happens with traditional recipes, the cake has been modified from family to family. In the end it seems the Marcianise version won everyone over.
So, there is history, taste and tradition: let’s get to work.
You may also like:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Easter
Ingredients
- 0.8 cups Manitoba flour
- 2.5 tsp fresh yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3.4 oz milk (warm)
- 2 cups Manitoba flour
- 6.5 tbsps sugar
- 2 eggs (medium at room temperature)
- 4 tbsps butter (soft or lard)
- orange zest (unwaxed)
- lemon zest (unwaxed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 tbsps Strega liqueur (or anise liqueur)
- 2 tbsps orange blossom water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg white
- 1.25 cups powdered sugar
- 4 drops lemon juice
- to taste colored sprinkles
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THE SWEET CASATIELLO
This content contains one or more affiliate links
- 1 Stand mixer
- 1 Pan for panettone 8 11/16 in
- Plastic wrap
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Whisk
SWEET CASATIELLO PREPARATION
Pre-dough
In a bowl dissolve the yeast in the warm milk with the sugar.
Add the flour and stir until you obtain a smooth batter.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a switched-off oven with the light on for 1 hour or until doubled in size.In the bowl of the stand mixer or in a large bowl place the eggs, the sugar and the pre-dough. Using the paddle attachment, mix everything until you get a homogeneous mixture.
Gradually add the flour and work the dough for 5 minutes.Switch to the spiral hook and incorporate the soft butter little by little, then continue working for another 10 minutes. Finally add the Strega liqueur (or anise), the orange blossom water, the citrus zests, the vanilla extract and the salt.
Work the dough for 15-20 minutes, until it becomes smooth and elastic. Turn it out onto the work surface and, using a bench scraper, shape it into a ball and place it in a lightly buttered bowl.
Cover and let rise in a switched-off oven with the light on for 2 hours, or until doubled.Transfer the dough into the buttered 8 11/16 in (22 cm) pan, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise again for about 1 hour and a half.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 338°F for about 40 minutes. If the surface gets too dark, cover it with a sheet of parchment paper.Check the doneness with the skewer test. Remove the sweet casatiello from the oven and let it cool completely.
In a bowl put the egg white, the sifted powdered sugar and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix everything until you obtain a smooth, thick glaze.
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and decorate with colored sprinkles.
Let the glaze harden on the surface before enjoying it.
The sweet casatiello is even better the next day.
