 | |
| Alternative names | Cassata siciliana |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Sicily |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake,fruit juice orliqueur,ricotta,candied peel,marzipan,icing |
| Variations | Cassata al forno ('in oven'),cassatella di sant'Agata |
Cassata (/kəˈsɑːtə/kə-SAH-tə) orcassata siciliana (Italian:[kasˈsaːtasitʃiˈljaːna];Sicilian:[ka(s)ˈsaːtasɪʃɪˈljaːna]) is anItaliancake originating in theSicily region.[1][2][3] It is typically composed of a roundsponge cake moistened withfruit juices orliqueur and layered withricotta cheese andcandied fruit (a filling also used withcannoli). It has a shell ofmarzipan, pink and green coloredicing, and decorative designs. Cassata may also refer to aNeapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts.
Cassata is believed to have originated inPalermo in the 10th century, when underEmirate of Sicily.[4][5] The wordal-qaššāṭī—القشاطي (Arabic for 'the cassata-maker')—was first mentioned inCorleone in 1178.[6][7]
The Arabic wordqas'ah, from whichcassata may derive, refers to the bowl that is used to shape the cake.[8][9]
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Unlike the round, traditional shape some cassata are made in the form of a rectangle, square, or box. The wordbox inItalian iscassa, although it is unlikely that the wordcassata originated from this term.[citation needed]
Cassata catanese, as it is often prepared in the Sicilianprovince of Catania, is made similar to apie, containing a top and bottom crust, filled withricotta cheese, and baked in the oven.[citation needed]
Cassatella di sant'Agata 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 inCatania for the festival ofSaint Agatha. The allusion to the female breast relates the specific torture Saint Agatha faced as a Catholic martyr.[10]
When a cassata is made, layers ofgelato can be substituted for the layers of cheese, producing a dessert similar to anice cream cake. The version of the recipe followed inMessina is less sweet than the one used in Palermo.[citation needed]
While there are bakeries in the US making traditional Sicilian cassata,[11][12] inCleveland, Ohio, and the surroundingregion, the term "cassata cake" uniquely refers to a layered yellowsponge cake soaked in rum or rum syrup, filled with fresh strawberries and custard, and usually decorated with whipped cream and sliced strawberries.[13] This Cleveland cake with the name cassata first appeared in the early 1920s at LaPuma Spumoni & Bakery.[14]
InUtica, NY the term cassata typically refers to cassata al forno, a bakedricotta cake.[12]
InIndia, the term cassata refers to a dessert with multiple layers of ice cream (similar toNeapolitan ice cream), on top of a layer ofsponge cake, topped with nuts.[15]
Media related toCassata at Wikimedia Commons
