Cassata (/kəˈsɑːtə/ kə-SAH-tə) or cassata siciliana (Italian: [kasˈsaːta sitʃiˈljaːna]; Sicilian: [ka(s)ˈsaːta sɪʃɪˈljaːna]) is an Italian cake originating in the Sicily region.[1][2][3] It is typically composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit (a filling also used with cannoli). It has a shell of marzipan, pink and green colored icing, and decorative designs. Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts.
 | |
| Alternative names | Cassata siciliana |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Sicily |
| Main ingredients | Sponge cake, fruit juice or liqueur, ricotta, candied peel, marzipan, icing |
| Variations | Cassata al forno ('in oven'), cassatella di sant'Agata |
Origin
edit
Cassata is believed to have originated in Palermo in the 10th century, when under Emirate of Sicily.[4][5] The word al-qaššāṭī—القشاطي (Arabic for 'the cassata-maker')—was first mentioned in Corleone in 1178.[6][7]
The Arabic word qas'ah, from which cassata may derive, refers to the bowl that is used to shape the cake.[8][9]
Variations
editIn Italy
editThis section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2024) |
Unlike the round, traditional shape some cassata are made in the form of a rectangle, square, or box. The word box in Italian is cassa, although it is unlikely that the word cassata originated from this term.[citation needed]
Cassata catanese, as it is often prepared in the Sicilian province of Catania, is made similar to a pie, containing a top and bottom crust, filled with ricotta 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 in Catania for the festival of Saint 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 of gelato can be substituted for the layers of cheese, producing a dessert similar to an ice cream cake. The version of the recipe followed in Messina is less sweet than the one used in Palermo.[citation needed]
In the US
editWhile there are bakeries in the US making traditional Sicilian cassata,[11][12] in Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding region, the term "cassata cake" uniquely refers to a layered yellow sponge 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]
In Utica, NY the term cassata typically refers to cassata al forno, a baked ricotta cake.[12]
In India
editIn India, the term cassata refers to a dessert with multiple layers of ice cream (similar to Neapolitan ice cream), on top of a layer of sponge cake, topped with nuts.[15]
See also
editMedia related to Cassata at Wikimedia Commons
References
edit- ^ "Cassata". La Cucina Italiana. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "Dai musulmani agli spagnoli: ecco le mutazioni della cassata siciliana". Cibodistrada.it. 2016-03-26. Retrieved 2016-10-22.
- ^ "Gastronomia". Web.tiscalinet.it. Retrieved 2016-10-22.
- ^ Habeeb Salloum (25 Jun 2013). Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets (revised ed.). I.B.Tauris. pp. 139–40. ISBN 9780857733412.
- ^ Alan Davidson (11 Aug 2014). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 148. ISBN 9780199677337.
- ^ Alex Metcalfe (2009). The Muslims of Medieval Italy (illustrated ed.). Edinburgh University Press. p. 252. ISBN 9780748620081.
- ^ Alexander Metcalfe (21 Jan 2014). Muslims and Christians in Norman Sicily: Arabic-Speakers and the End of Islam. Routledge. p. 259. ISBN 9781317829256.
- ^ Vesna Maric (2008). Sicily. Ediz. Inglese (illustrated ed.). Lonely Planet. p. 45. ISBN 9781740599696.
- ^ Mary Taylor Simeti (2009). Sicilian Food: Recipes from Italy's Abundant Isle (illustrated ed.). Wakefield Press. p. 79. ISBN 9781862548503.
- ^ "The erotic origins of Italy's most famous sweet". BBC. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
- ^ "Meet Jennifer Thornton of Buttercream & Olive Oil, maker of Cleveland's best cassata cake". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ^ a b "The Sweet History of Cassata, a Cake With a Complicated Past". Eater.com. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ^ "Baraona's Baking Company named 'People's Choice' in our search for the best cassata cake in Greater Cleveland". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ^ "'Hakuna Matata' for Cleveland Cassata: Classic CLE Eats & Drinks". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
- ^ "Cassata: A dessert that's travelled all over India, Italy and the Arab world". GulfNews.com. Retrieved 2025-10-12.