Fabulous Cassata Cake

Ingredients

For the Lemon-Ricotta Filling
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cake
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs, separated
2 cups superfine granulated sugar, divided
For Assembling
1 pint fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
500 milliliters whipped fresh cream (whipped with vanilla and sugar

Preparation

1
Filling:
2
Whisk together 4 tablespoons of the milk with the flour. The slurry will be somewhat thick, make sure all lumps are removed.
3
Add in the rest of the milk and transfer the mixture to a pot.
4
Simmer the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly. As bubbles begin to come up and steam, remove the pot and continue to stir for another 30 seconds.
5
Cover the milk mixture (either in the pot or put into a bowl) with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface so that no skin forms. Cool for 15 to 30 minutes.
6
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla fitted with the beating on high speed for about to 5 minutes.
7
Scrape the sides and add the cooled milk mixture continuing to beat on high speed until the filling is smooth, another 5 minutes or so.
8
Beat in the ricotta cheese 1 tablespoon at a time.
9
Preheat your oven to 335F. Coat three 9 inch spring form pans with butter and dust with flour, coating up the sides so the cakes do not stick.
10
For the Cake:
11
Measure the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into one bowl, and the milk and vanilla into a separate bowl. Whisk each to combine. In the standing mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed to a stiff peak. Drizzle in 1 cup of the sugar while the mixer is running.
12
Scoop the meringue into a large bowl and set aside.
13
Wipe the mixer bowl and replace the wire whip with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter with the remaining 1 cup of sugar on low speed. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
14
Add the dry and wet ingredients alternating about a quarter at a time and don't pause between additions.
15
Stop the mixer and gently fold the meringue into the batter with a spatula.
16
Pour the mixture evenly into the pans and bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until the cake bounces back when lightly pressed and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
17
Cool the cakes for a few minutes, then invert the cakes onto a flat surface. They will be very fragile, so handle them with care.
18
To assemble the cake by adding about 1 cup each of the fresh strawberries and the ricotta filling between the layers.
19
Cover the outside of the cake with the sweetened whipped cream.* Add more fresh strawberries around the edge of the cake to make it so pretty
.

About

Check out my blog post for more information and step by step photos
http://bit.ly/hv05O6

Yield:

2 servings

Added:

Thursday, April 7, 2011 - 7:09am

Creator:

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