Name: Cassata
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 5 eggs; 100 gm caster sugar; ½ tsp vanilla extract; 100 gm plain flour; For brushing: almond liqueur, such as amaretto; 2 drops green food colouring; 500 gm fondant icing (see note); For dusting: icing sugar; To serve: cedro, shaved with a peeler (see note); To serve: candied oranges or clementines (see note); Ricotta filling; 450 gm ricotta (2¼ cups); 120 gm caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tsp almond liqueur, such as amaretto; 150 gm candied fruit, such as orange, cedro and pear (see note); 50 gm good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

You will need to begin this recipe 1-2 days ahead.

Ingredients

5 eggs

100 gm caster sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

100 gm plain flour

For brushing: almond liqueur, such as amaretto

2 drops green food colouring

500 gm fondant icing (see note)

For dusting: icing sugar

To serve: cedro, shaved with a peeler (see note)

To serve: candied oranges or clementines (see note)

Ricotta filling

450 gm ricotta (2¼ cups)

120 gm caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp almond liqueur, such as amaretto

150 gm candied fruit, such as orange, cedro and pear (see note)

50 gm good-quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Method

Main

1.Place ricotta into a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain.

2.Preheat oven to 180C. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs for 2 minutes, add sugar and whisk for 10 minutes or until pale and thick enough to form ribbons of mixture. Stir in vanilla, then gently fold through sifted flour. Pour mixture into a 23cm-diameter lined and greased cake pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden and centre springs back when lightly pressed. Cool on a wire rack.

3.For ricotta filling, process drained ricotta, discarding liquid, in a food processor until smooth. Add sugar, vanilla and almond liqueur and blend to combine, then stir through candied fruit and chocolate. Refrigerate until required.

4.Halve cake horizontally and brush cut sides with almond liqueur. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over base and sandwich with top. Refrigerate until required.

5.Add food colouring to fondant icing and knead to combine colouring evenly. Roll out icing to 4mm thick on an icing sugar-dusted work surface, then cut out a 30cm-diameter circle, place over cake to cover and trim excess. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Decorate with cedro and candied orange and serve.

Note Fondant icing is available from supermarkets. Cedro is the candied fruit of a citron tree and is available, along with other candied fruit, from Simon Johnson and David Jones Foodhalls.
Notes

Styling by Megan Morton

Styling by Rodney Dunn