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BETTY'S CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA

Source of Recipe

Betty Diamond Alessandra


Recipe Introduction

This is one of my favorite desserts and is exceedingly rich. It is a cross between Zuppa Englese and Cannoli.)

List of Ingredients

"Cake portion:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon, chopped semisweet chocolate
(you could use unsweetned if you like a less sweet taste)
1 jigger of rum (I like meyer's dark)
1 1/2 lb. ricotta
1 cup chopped candied fruit
1/4 tsp. good quality vanilla. (I use
Ronald Reginald"s melipon Mexican)
Amaretto
1 lb. pan di Spagna (Recipe follows)
or 1 lb. cake or a bunch of lady fingers (no you don't have to make
them ... go out & buy the darn things.)

"Icing" portion:
1 egg white
about 10 candied cherries (cut in halves)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
some shaved chocolate




Recipe

Method:
For Cake: Put sugar in pan with about 2 Tablespoons water. Bring to a boil.
Remove from heat, & let cool. Add that Yummy Ricotta and rum, & mix well.
Divide this mixture into 2 bowls. Into the first batch, add the vanilla &
candied fruit. Mix well. Into the 2 Bowl. add chocolate.
Cut the pan di Spagna or the pound cake or the lady fingers int inch slices,
which have first been sprinkle with Amaretto. Line a round baking dish
(approximately 4 inches high or a springform pan with the cake) Pour in
chocolate ricotta mixture, then vanilla recotta mixture. Cover with the rest of the cake. (NOTE: I like lining the perimeter of the pan of the pan with the lady fingers-- it helps hold the "cake" together.) Let rest 2 hours in the refrigerator. Turn over on fancy serving dish.

For Icing:
Beat egg whites, powder sugar & Lemon juice till stiff.
Cover "cake" with icing. Decorate with cherry halves around the edges &
Sprinkle with finely shaved chocolate in center. Put in ice box (refrigerator)
for about 1/2 hour before serving.

Pan Di Spagna (Italian Sponge Cake)
6 eggs, separated
1 cup flour (use white, not whole wheat)
1 cup powder sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon rind

Method:
Beat egg yolks and sugar in bowl till lemon colored.
Add lemon rind. In another bowl beat egg whites till stiff.
Fold Gently into yolks. Add Sifted flour and baking powder
into cake batter. Pour into greased and floured 9 "squared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Let cool, and eject from pan.