First prepare the sponge cake: whisk the eggs with the sugar for at least 10-15 minutes, until you obtain a very puffy mixture, then delicately incorporate the aromas and finally salt and sifted flour little at a time, mixing delicately with a movement from below upwards so as not to break down the mixture too much.
Pour the mixture into the buttered and floured mold and bake for about 25 minutes in a preheated fan oven at 180°C. Turn off the oven, open the door slightly and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before turning it out and leaving it upside down on the serving plate.
Prepare the syrup by letting the water with sugar and lemon simmer for a few minutes, then let it cool slightly.
When the base is cold, mix the drained ricotta well with the sugar, then add the chocolate chips and transfer to a piping bag with a wide, smooth nozzle.
Take the base again, wet the surface with the syrup, then fill with the cassata cream, creating regular tufts with the piping bag, without leaving spaces between them. Decorate as desired with candied fruit, candied cherries and chopped pistachios.
The soft Sicilian cassata tart is ready, all you have to do is enjoy it.
One of the most beloved characters of the MasterChef 11 public comes out: the Palermo-born Pietro Adragna, to whom we asked for the recipe of the Sicilian cassata
Two surprise eliminations during the eighth episode of MasterChef 11 – 556 thousand average spectators and 2.04% share despite the Sanremo Festival – aired last night on Sky Uno / + 1 and on demand: the judges Bruno Barbieri, Antonino Cannavacciuolo and Giorgio Locatelli they asked Dalila and Pietro to remove their aprons following the Invention Test and the Pressure Test. "I can summarize my participation in MasterChef in three words: emotion, adrenaline and great joy", declares the Sicilian competitor Pietro Adragna (42 years old) who leaves the television cooking show produced by Endemol with only one regret: «I was unable to prepare the cannoli and cassata at least once. To make up for this lack, we reached him by phone to ask him for his very personal recipe for a perfect one Sicilian cassata to do at home.
The recipe of the Sicilian cassata of MasterChef
For the sponge cake 3 eggs 45 g starch 45 g 00 flour 90 g sugar A pinch of cinnamon
Whip egg whites and yolks separately, slowly adding 45 g of sugar to the mixture during the assembly; gently incorporate the two masses with a marisa taking care not to dismantle the mixture. Combine the buckets and sift them. In small doses, integrate the sieved buckets into the mass and mix with a marisa delicately from top to bottom. Pour the mixture into a greased and floured baking pan and bake in a preheated static oven at 180 for about 30 minutes.
For the ricotta cream 500 g sheep ricotta 100 g granulated sugar 50 g dark chocolate in pieces
Allow the ricotta to dry well and then add it to the sugar, giving it time to absorb it and dissolve completely in the fridge. Add the chocolate cut into thick and fairly consistent pieces.
For the marzipan 100 g almond flour 100 g pistachio flour 150 g granulated sugar 50 g egg white
Mix all the ingredients and mix them until you get a solid and chewy consistency, then let it rest in the fridge. The pistachio flour will allow to offer the mixture a natural color without resorting to the use of dyes, as well as giving a more decisive and particular taste to the marzipan.
Dark sugar for icing 500 g granulated sugar 75 g glucose or honey 150 g of water
Boil the ingredients in a pan up to 115 degrees, then transfer to a planetary or work by hand on a marble or steel surface with two spatulas until it becomes white and solid (from this moment it can be sealed and stored for a long time) . To bring it back to a liquid consistency, while maintaining the opaque white color, it will be sufficient to heat it in a water bath, if necessary with the help of just half a teaspoon of water.
For the royal icing for decorations 300 g powdered sugar 20 g egg white A few drops of lemonjuice
Mix all the ingredients and once the consistency is obtained insert into a pastry bag with a very small outlet.
In the specific cassata pan line the walls with icing sugar. Cut a sphere of sponge cake the diameter of the lid of the pan and place it. Always with the sponge cake obtain trapezoidal shapes. Spread the marzipan with the help of the icing sugar and create mirror shapes to the trapezoidal ones just made with the sponge cake. Line the edges of the pan alternating the trapezoids of marzipan and sponge cake, in inverted positions. Once the pan is lined, use the syrup and with a brush let it absorb into the sponge cake. At this point, fill the cassata with the ricotta cream and line the base with another sphere of sponge cake, or with pieces of it enough to cover the whole base. Let it rest in the fridge. Once allowed to rest, proceed with the glazing; after dissolving the dark sugar and quickly using a spatula, coat the cassata of the same, pouring the sugar from above and carefully leveling all the parts. Once the icing has cooled, finish as desired by decorating with royal icing.
First, melt the dark chocolate (in a bain-marie or in the microwave), then pour it into the mold and coat both the bottom and the sides well, creating an even layer. Drain the excess into the bowl where you melted the chocolate, place the mold in the freezer for 5 minutes, then repeat the operation to create a thicker layer and finally leave it in the fridge.
Also add the candied fruit (do not cut them into too small pieces, the color must be clearly visible).
Pour the mixture thus obtained into the mold, try to level the surface well and let the air bubbles come out, then leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Melt the dark chocolate again, pour a few tablespoons to cover the white surface and leave in the fridge for 1 hour. (If you want the bottom of the nougat thicker, repeat the operation).
Trim the edges with a blade to remove excess chocolate, try to get air between the mold and the chocolate, then turn over onto the serving dish: if air has entered all around, it should turn out by itself.
The cassata flavor nougat is ready: let it rest for at least 20-30 minutes before cutting it.
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