Cassatella & Chocolate Cake

This cake is inspired by the more famous Cassata Siciliana. One day, I will definitely challenge myself with the original cassata and I will share it with you too.

For now, I hope you will enjoy this rich and delicious sponge filled cake, enriched with a layer of soft hazelnut chocolate cream 🙂

Cassatella & Chocolate Cake
  • DifficultyMedium
  • CostMedium
  • Preparation time30 Minutes
  • Rest time4 Hours
  • Cooking time35 Minutes
  • Servingserves 10 people
  • Cooking methodOven
  • CuisineItalian

Ingredients

For the sponge

  • 150 glight muscovado brown sugar
  • 75 gwithe spelt flour (or white flour type 0)
  • 75 gpotato starch (or corn starch)
  • 5eggs
  • 1vanilla pod
  • 1 pinchtable salt

For the ricotta cheese filling

  • 1500 gfresh Sicilian ricotta cheese
  • 275 gicing sugar
  • 100 gdark chocolate chips

For the almond and pistachio paste

  • 400 gground almond
  • 300 gicing sugar
  • 100 gground pistachio
  • 1/3 glasstable water

For the hazelnut chocolate cream

  • 500 ghazelnut-chocolate spreadable cream
  • 500 gfresh cream

For the syrup

  • 150 mltable water
  • 50 gsugar
  • 1 spoonMarsala wine (or Rum)

For the decoration

  • 200 gcrushed almond
  • 200 gcrushed pistachio

Preparation

For the sponge

  1. – put the eggs, the vanilla seeds and the sugar into a large bowl or planetary mixer;

    – whisk for about 15 minutes till you get a voluminous smooth cream;

    – sift the flour onto the cream and mix gently with a rotary movement from the bottom to the top of the bowl;

    – pour the sponge mixture onto a greased 24×24 cm squared baking tray

    – bake at 180 degrees for about 35/40 minutes;

For the ricotta cheese filling

  1. – sift twice the ricotta cheese onto a large bowl;

    – sift the icing sugar onto the ricotta cheese and mix well;

    – add the chocolate chips and mix well;

    – cover with cling film and keep it in the fridge;

For the almond and pistachio paste

  1. – mix all the ingredients together till you get a smooth spreadable paste;

For the syrup

  1. – pour all the ingredients onto a saucepan;

    – put the saucepan onto the stove and cook on a low-medium heat till the sugar melts;

    – allow to cool down;

To assemble the cake

  1. – take a long and sharp knife and cut the sponge in 4 thin layers;

    – put them next to each other, onto a serving tray in order to create the base of the cake;

    – wet it all with the syrup, by using a brush;

    – spread the ricotta cheese cream onto the wet sponge;

    – cover with a layer of almond and pistachio paste;

    whip the fresh cream and mix it gently with the hazelnut chocolate cream;

    – spread the chocolate cream all over the cake;

    – top the cake with crushed nuts;

    – keep refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving;

    – best if consumed by 24 hours;

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