Cassata (2024)

FAQs

What does cassata mean in Italian? ›

Cassata or cassata siciliana (/kəˈsɑːtə/ kə-SAH-tə, Italian: [kasˈsaːta sitʃiˈljaːna]; Sicilian: [ka(s)ˈsaːta sɪʃɪˈljaːna]) is a traditional cake from the Sicily region of Italy.

Cassata Ice Cream with layers of sponge cake enveloped by layers of strawberry, vanilla, and pistachio ice cream and a sheet of toasted pistachios that sat on the half rim.

Sicilian cassata ice cream, a very fresh gealto, greedy, with candied, pistachios, chocolate and a soft heart of sponge cake soaked by Alchermes.

The cassata siciliana, on which the tutti frutti flavour is surely based, endures. Usually a glace fruit, nut and ricotta mixture covered with cake and suffocated with marzipan, it's a rich, sweet concoction.

Perhaps the most iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu appears on menus at restaurants not only throughout Italy but also all over the world.

Cassata Siciliana is a beautiful ultra sweet cake. Usually 2 layers of white sponge cake, filled with ricotta,sometimes drizzled with liquor then covered with a sheet of either icing or in some cases fondant. Then beautifully decorated with candied fruits… every region of Sicily has it's variations.

One of Sicily's most famous sweets, it's origins date back to Arab occupation in the 10th century AD, whose influences remain in Sicily's food and culture today. The Cassata is a Sicilian sweet delicacy, a round cake with sloped edges and a layer of sponge protecting the sweetened fresh, new season ricotta cheese.

It's a very interesting blend of the Cassata shape combined with yet another classic the 'Neapolitan Ice-cream', a triple-layered multi-flavoured block cut into wedges and served up straight. The Neapolitan usually has vanilla, chocolate and strawberry as its flavours.

Here's a fun fact about this dessert: Cassata is the traditional name for spumoni. It is also a traditional sweet from the area of Palermo, Sicily, Italy.What makes our spumoni so delicious? It is a layered ice cream and sorbet with cherry and liqueur (brandy).

Gelato is typically served in a display case in the gelateria, where it is stored at a slightly warmer temperature than traditional ice cream. It is scooped into a cup or a cone and often garnished with fresh fruit, nuts, or a dollop of whipped cream in most places.

What are the 2 different Italian ice creams called? ›

First Things First: The Two Main Groups

So, strictly speaking, we can define Gelati (see footnotes) as Italian ice cream made with a milk base. Known in English as Sorbet, we could define it simply as water based Gelato, in other words, Italian ice cream made without the addition of milk and cream.

Cassata is a traditional Sicilian dessert: a round sponge cake filled with sweetened ricotta mixed with liqueur, chocolate chips and candied fruit, then iced and decorated with candied fruit and almond paste.

The cassata is un-moulded and topped with candied fruits before being served. The Italians would like us to believe that the name derives from the Latin word for cheese – casu. But this Sicilian dessert is supposed to have had its origins amongst the exotic Arabian cuisines introduced to Europe by the Moors.

Italian translation of 'milk'

Cassata is one of Sicily's most flamboyant cakes, and its most recognisable. It consists of a sponge, known as pan di Spagna, a sweetened ricotta centre, a coating of marzipan or icing – or more often both – and finally an elaborate, baroque-inspired decoration of glacé fruits and citrus rinds.

Gelato is a frozen treat that hails from Italy; the word "gelato" actually means "ice cream" in Italian.