Cleveland Cassata Cake
This cake is an interpretation on a Sicilian classic. Cleveland dessert-makers and home bakers swap the traditional ricotta, marzipan, and candied fruit for indulgent strawberries and custard.
The variation here involves layering Italian sponge with crème pâtissière and a filling made with macerated strawberries, and it's frosted with fresh whipped cream.
Time
prep: 60 minwait: 240 mincook: 50 minassemble: 80 min
Ingredients
Crème Pâtissière
- 8 g vanilla extract
- 240 g heavy cream
- 240 g whole milk
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 110 g egg yolks (approx. 6 yolks)
- 24 g cornstarch
- 1 g sea salt
- 85 g unsalted butter, sliced
Italian Sponge Cake
- 240 g egg whites, room temperature (approx. 8 whites)
- 4 g cream of tartar
- 270 g cake flour
- 300 g sugar
- 12 g baking powder
- 6 g sea salt
- 90 g egg yolks (approx. 5 yolks)
- 45 g lemon juice (juice of one medium lemon)
- 110 g canola oil
- 120 g water
Strawberry Filling & Syrup
- 454 g fresh strawberries, sliced
- 300 g sugar
- 240 g fresh squeezed orange juice
Whipped Cream
- 670 g heavy whipping cream
- 100 g confectioner's sugar
- 4 g vanilla extract
Strawberry Topping
- 6 each fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Bake the Italian sponge layers.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Grease and line three 9" cake pans or equivalent.
- Whip the egg whites with sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form (meringue).
- While the meringue is being mixed, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the oil, water, and lemon juice until a thick batter forms.
- Gently fold the meringue into the batter. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, filling approximately 2/3 to the top of the pan. Gently tap the filled pans against the counter to settle the batter evenly.
- Bake at 325°F for 25-35 minutes (check for doneness -- the cake should be pale yellow with just a hint of golden brown on top. A toothpick should come out clean.
- Cool the layers in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.
- Once the layers are cooled, wrap each layer in plastic and chill it in the fridge for four hours or overnight.
- Prepare the strawberry syrup and filling.
- Toss the strawberries in sugar until evenly coated. Cover and rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Squeeze fresh juice from 2-3 oranges (alternately: pour the equivalent amount of Grand Marnier).
- When the strawberries have successfully macerated (they should be floating in sugary liquid), strain the liquid and set it aside. Cover the strawberries and refrigerate.
- Whisk the strawberry syrup and orange juice (or Grand Marnier). Cover and refrigerate until cake assembly.
- Make the crème pâtissière.
- Whisk together the sugar, egg yolks, corn starch, and salt in a heatproof mixing bowl.
- Heat the milk and heavy cream in a saucepan until simmering (do not boil).
- Temper the mixture in the bowl with the hot milk before combining in the saucepan and cooking until thick.
- Stir in the butter one slice at a time until integrated.
- Cool the pastry cream to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap (make sure to press the wrap against the surface of the pastry cream so that it is not exposed to air) and chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours (overnight is fine, but no longer than two days).
- Assemble the cake.
- Unwrap the first cake layer and place it on a cake stand.
- Brush the sponge with a thin strawberry syrup. The cake should turn lightly pink, but not be oversaturated.
- Spread a thin layer of pastry cream over the sponge.
- Layer strawberry filling on top of the pastry cream.
- Spread another thin layer of pastry cream on top of the strawberry filling.
- Unwrap and place another cake layer on top and continue layering until the last sponge.
- Brush a light layer of strawberry syrup onto the last sponge. Cover the cake with a cake dome and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that the cake may stabilize before frosting.
- Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and frost a crumb coat with whipped cream.
- Once the crumb coat is set, frost the cake generously with whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate.
- Just before serving, top the cake with sliced strawberries. Enjoy.
