Indulge in a delightful culinary journey with our Cassata-Style Cheesecake, a masterpiece that harmoniously blends the richness of cheesecake with the vibrant flavors of Cassata, an iconic Sicilian dessert. Embark on an exciting adventure as we unveil the secrets behind this exquisite treat, guiding you through each step of the process with precision and clarity. Discover the art of crafting a velvety smooth cheesecake filling, perfectly complemented by a moist and tender sponge cake base. Learn the techniques for creating a vibrant Cassata filling, featuring candied fruit, nuts, and a hint of liqueur. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting your culinary exploration, our detailed instructions and helpful tips will empower you to recreate this stunning dessert in the comfort of your own kitchen. Along the way, you'll also discover variations of this classic, including a gluten-free option, a mini cheesecake version, and a no-bake alternative, ensuring that everyone can savor the delights of Cassata-Style Cheesecake.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
SICILIAN CASSATA: RICOTTA CAKE
Provided by Food Network
Categories dessert
Time 39m
Yield 10 servings as dessert
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Place the ricotta into a fine mesh sieve and nestle this over a bowl, place into the refrigerator overnight to allow the excess moisture to drain out before proceeding with the cassata recipe.
- Place the ricotta into the bowl of a mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until the curds smooth out. Mix the drained and beaten ricotta with 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, chocolate chips and half the candied fruit. Set aside.
- Lightly oil a 10-inch springform pan with canola oil. Slice the sponge cake very thinly so that the springform may be lined with it in an even layer. Line the sides and bottom of the pan with the sponge cake. Pour the ricotta filling into the cake-lined pan. Place a final layer of cake over the ricotta filling; this now creates the bottom to the cassata. Before serving, the cassata will be inverted onto this cake bottom. Refrigerate the cassata overnight to firm the filling.
- Invert the springform pan on a wide platter. Open the hinge and remove the springform sides and bottom.
- The cassata may now be finished by either covering with a heavy coating of the remaining powdered sugar or may be coated with a thin layer of green marzipan. Either way, the remaining candied fruits should be used to decorate the finished cassata. Slice thinly and serve.
CASSATA-STYLE CHEESECAKE
A different version of the cassata a traditional Italian dessert made from ricotta, glacé fruit, nuts and chocolate. This delectable cheesecake is sinfully rich.
Provided by Elly in Canada
Categories Cheesecake
Time 2h30m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°F Lightly coat or spray a 9- or 9 1/2-inch springform pan with oil.
- For crust:.
- Place 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add butter. Pulse until small crumbs form. Turn into pan. Press firmly and evenly over bottom. (Don't worry about cleaning processor.)
- Bake crust in centre of preheated oven until lightly golden around edge, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove pan and reduce heat to 300F
- For filling:.
- Finely grate peel from orange. Cut cream cheese into chunks.
- Place in a food processor with ricotta and vanilla. Whirl until smooth, occasionally scraping down side of bowl.
- Add 1 cup sugar and whirl to mix. Add eggs, one at a time, whirling after each addition. Then add 3 tbsp flour and orange zest. Whirl just until evenly mixed.
- Scrape filling into a large bowl. Stir in chocolate, candied fruit mix and pistachios.
- Pour filling over warm base.
- Lay a piece of foil loosely overtop. Don't seal.
- Bake in centre of 300F oven until centre is slightly jiggly, 2 hours.
- Remove to a rack. Run a knife around outside edge of cake, but don't remove from pan. Cool in pan, then refrigerate at least 3 hours or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
- If centre cracks, cover with orange slices or whipped cream and chopped pistachios, if you wish!
- Hint: if you cannot find the mixed chopped candied fruits and peel use diced candied cherries and pineapple.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 458.3, Fat 27.3, SaturatedFat 15.2, Cholesterol 129.7, Sodium 174.3, Carbohydrate 43.3, Fiber 1.4, Sugar 30.5, Protein 12
CASSATA
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- To make the cake, beat the eggs preferably in an electric mixer for 5 minutes. Add the sugar and grated citrus peel and continue to beat until the beater leaves a ribbon-like trail, about 15 minutes. Fold in the flour by hand, one-third at a time.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes then unmold and cool completely.
- To make the syrup: In a small bowl, combine 3/4 cup of warm water with the sugar and the liqueur. Stir the syrup until the sugar dissolves.
- To form the cassata: Slice the cake into 2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Trim the crusts from the cake then return one of the layers to the springform pan. Spoon half the syrup over the cake then spread a layer of ricotta crema on top. Repeat, carefully placing another layer of cake, drizzling with syrup then spreading with ricotta. Wrap the cake in plastic and chill it for at least 1 hour.
- To make the frosting: Sift half of the confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add half of the lemon juice and all of the lemon extract. Stir the liquid into the sugar, breaking up any lumps. Sift the remaining sugar into the bowl and add the rest of the lemon juice. Thin the icing with a little water until it has a thin spreading consistency and forms smooth, shiny icing.
- Unwrap the cassata and invert it onto a serving plate. Ice the cassata then decorate it with whole and cut pieces of candied fruit. Chill the cassata for at least 3 hours, then slice and serve.
ITALIAN EASTER CASSATA
This is an old family recipe called cassata which is a ricotta cheesecake with cherries and chocolate baked into a cookie dough style crust.
Provided by Claudia Lamascolo
Categories cheesecake recipes, ricotta cheese recipes, Italian dessert recipes, Easter dessert recipes
Time 1h
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Grease two 9 inch pans lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl until it forms a ball.
- Roll the dough out thin and line your prepared pans with it.
- Pour in the filling.
- Make a lattice-style crust and place the strips on the bottom and top like a weave.
- You can brush the top with beaten egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the crust looks brown and the middle looks solid around 35 to 45 minutes depending on how thick your cassata is and the pans you used.
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered.
CASSATA CAKE
Provided by Warren Brown
Categories Cake Berry Cheese Dairy Fruit Dessert Bake Fourth of July Vegetarian Ricotta Strawberry Birthday Party Advance Prep Required Kidney Friendly Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield One 9-inch layer cake
Number Of Ingredients 21
Steps:
- 1. To make the filling, quickly whisk together 4 tablespoons of the milk with the flour. The slurry will be somewhat thick, so whisk thoroughly to make it smooth. Press out any lumps with a flexible spatula, if necessary.
- 2. Whisk in the rest of the milk and transfer the mixture to a 2-quart heavy-bottom saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Once bubbles that burp steam form, remove the pot from the heat and continue to stir for another 30 seconds.
- 3. Cover the milk mixture with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface. Cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
- 4. Meanwhile, combine the butter, sugar, citrus oil, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for up to 5 minutes.
- 5. Add the milk mixture and continue to beat on high speed until the filling is smooth, another 5 minutes. Beat in the ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon at a time.
- 6. Preheat the oven to 335°F and place the rack in the middle position. Line the bottoms of three 9-by-2- inch round pans with parchment.
- 7. Measure the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into one bowl, and the milk and vanilla into a separate bowl. Whisk each to combine.
- 8. In the standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed to a stiff peak. Drizzle in 1 cup of the sugar while the mixer is running. Scoop the meringue into a large bowl and set aside.
- 9. Lightly wipe the mixer bowl and replace the wire whip with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter with the remaining 1 cup of sugar on low speed.
- 10. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl all the way to the bottom using a flexible spatula and mix on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- 11. Alternately add the dry and wet ingredients about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions.
- 12. Stop the mixer and gently fold the meringue into the batter with a flexible spatula. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pans and bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 13. Cool the cakes for 2 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edges and invert the cakes onto a flat surface. They will be very fragile, so handle them with care.
- 14. Assemble the extravagant cake by adding about 1 cup each of the fresh strawberries and the ricotta filling between the layers. Cover the outside of the cake with the whipped cream. Add more fresh strawberries around the edge of the cake if you like.
Tips:
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before starting. This will help it mix smoothly with the other ingredients.
- If you don't have ricotta cheese, you can substitute it with cottage cheese. Just be sure to drain the cottage cheese well before using.
- Use high-quality chocolate for the ganache. This will make a big difference in the flavor of the cheesecake.
- Don't overbeat the cheesecake batter. Overbeating can cause the cheesecake to be dense and crumbly.
- Bake the cheesecake in a water bath. This will help prevent the cheesecake from cracking.
- Chill the cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving. This will allow the flavors to develop and the cheesecake to set properly.
Conclusion:
This cassata-style cheesecake is a delicious and impressive dessert that is perfect for any occasion. The combination of creamy cheesecake, chocolate ganache, and candied fruit is sure to please everyone. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make this cheesecake at home. So next time you're looking for a special dessert, give this cassata-style cheesecake a try. You won't be disappointed!
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