cassata

Cassata is Sicilian, possibly from Arabic qas'ah (a large round bowl), which would describe the mold in which the cake is assembled. The dish combines sponge cake, sweetened ricotta, marzipan, and candied fruit. Each of these components arrived in Sicily from a different direction: ricotta from the pastoral traditions of mainland Italy, marzipan from the Arab confectioners who dominated Sicilian sweets during the Emirate of Sicily (827-1091), candied fruit from the same Arab tradition, and sponge cake from European baking.

The nuns of the Martorana convent in Palermo became famous for their cassata in the medieval and early modern periods. They made it so extravagantly — and spent so much time on it — that in 1575, the Synod of Mazara del Vallo banned nuns from making cassata during Lent. The ban was not about the ingredients. It was about the distraction. The nuns were neglecting prayers to perfect their frosting.

By the nineteenth century, cassata had become the definitive Sicilian celebration cake. It was served at Easter, at weddings, at baptisms. Palermo's pastry shops competed to produce the most elaborate versions. The cake grew more ornate over time: thicker layers of marzipan, more candied fruit, more elaborate decoration. The maximalism was the point.

Cassata now exists in two forms: the traditional layered cake (cassata siciliana) and cassata gelata, an ice cream version. Both are available in Italian restaurants and pastry shops worldwide, though the ice cream version is more common outside Sicily. The original is a challenge to make well — the ricotta must be fresh, the marzipan must be rolled thin, and the candied fruit must be arranged with care. It is a cake that demands devotion. The nuns understood this.