Cassata Cake

Cassata cake is very Sicilian, only in Sicily it looks nothing like this cake.  They usually have some sort of fondant or candy frosting over their cakes, sometimes they are green, and they are adorned with candied fruits like oranges and cherries.  How our version evolved to be this cake is beyond me but it is absolutely one of my favorite desserts because it is so light and fresh.  I like to add fresh strawberries or blueberries to the top of my cake, but you can also add different colored candied cherries (green and red for Christmas) or candied orange or citron slices. The filling is very similar to a cannoli filling but the rest of the cake lightens it up.  Note: I usually make Angel Food cakes for this recipe but you can buy them pre-made or use sponge cakes or even pound cake but it wont be quite as light.

Ingredients

• 2 Angel food cakes (store-bought or homemade)
• 16 ounces ricotta cheese
• 2 pints heavy cream, whipped, divided
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 chocolate bars, divided
• Maraschino cherries

Instructions

If making your own cakes, bake them in a bundt pan and allow them to cool completely.

Fold the ricotta, 1 pint of the whipped heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Add one roughly chopped chocolate bar. Fold in gently.

Spray a large bowl with nonstick cooking spray and line with plastic wrap. Slice the sponge cake into half-inch pieces. Line the bowl with one layer of cake. Follow with a layer of filling. Continue alternating layers of cake and filling until you have reached the top of the bowl. Finish with a layer of cake. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the plastic wrap. Place a pretty cake plate on top of the bowl. Invert the cake and remove the bowl.

Frost with remaining pint of whipped cream. Decorate with chocolate curls from the second chocolate bar and well-drained maraschino cherries.