Cassata

Cassata (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) or (; ) is an Italian cake originating in the Sicily region. It is typically composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit (a filling also used with cannoli). It has a shell of marzipan, pink and green colored icing, and decorative designs. Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts.

Origin

File:Cassata.jpg

Cassata

File:I tesori della pasticceria siciliana -cassatine , cassata al forno detta anche cassata rustica per il suo aspetto rustucco e i biscotti di mandorla e molti altri--- 2014-06-21 00-59.jpg

A slice of , almond pastries (right), and a (left)

Cassata is believed to have originated in Palermo in the 10th century, when under Emirate of Sicily. The word —Template:Langnf—was first mentioned in Corleone in 1178.

The Arabic word , from which may derive, refers to the bowl that is used to shape the cake.

Variations

Unlike the round, traditional shape some cassata are made in the form of a rectangle, square, or box. The word box in Italian is , although it is unlikely that the word originated from this term.

, as it is often prepared in the Sicilian province of Catania, is made similar to a pie, containing a top and bottom crust, filled with ricotta cheese, and baked in the oven.

is a similar dessert, but made in a smaller, personal-serving size, with a candied cherry on top, and often a specifically green-colored marzipan. It is typically made in Catania for the festival of Saint Agatha. The allusion to the female breast relates the specific torture Saint Agatha faced as a Catholic martyr.

When a cassata is made, layers of gelato can be substituted for the layers of cheese, producing a dessert similar to an ice cream cake. The version of the recipe followed in Messina is less sweet than the one used in Palermo.

See also

• List of Italian desserts and pastries
• List of cakes
• Tipsy cake
• Trifle