Cassata Siciliana — The Full Technique

Palermo, Sicily — specifically the Norman royal court and the Arab confectioners who served it. The name derives from the Arabic 'qas'ah' (large round bowl — the traditional mould). The elaborate version dates to the 17th century Palermitano nuns who elevated the basic Arab-Norman confection to baroque excess.

Cassata siciliana is one of the great elaborate confections of world pastry: a dome of sponge cake soaked in Marsala, lined with marzipan (pasta reale), filled with sweetened ricotta studded with candied citrus peel and chocolate, covered in smooth royal icing (pasta reale) and decorated with baroque extravagance — candied citrus halves, crystallised cherries, geometric patterns of piped icing. It is a direct descendant of the Arab culinary culture that ruled Sicily from 827-1072 CE (the combination of marzipan, fresh cheese, citrus, and spice is Arab in origin). Its preparation requires 2-3 days.

The fresh ricotta filling is light and milky, sweet with the preserved citrus peel and dark with the chocolate — it tastes of Palermo in the way that nothing else does. The sponge absorbs the Marsala and becomes deeply flavoured; the marzipan exterior adds almond sweetness and a slight bitterness. The combination is baroque in every sense — rich, elaborate, excessive, and completely satisfying.