Strawberry Cassata Recipe (2024)

easy way---put cake on sheet pan with sides that are 1/4"---using a very long serrated knife,rest knife on edges of sheet pan,and you'll slice perfect layers.repeat with remaining cake to cut as many as desirered

Any tips for slicing the sponge cake into 4 slices without it falling apart or otherwise breaking?

I'd be tempted to bake this is in a parchment lined half sheet pan and then cut it into four rectangles. Might need a tad more syrup, but I find slicing rounds into layers nerve wracking.

Made this today. Tips: I used a 9.5" pan--it was fine. 8" would be too small. I’d slice it into 3 layers, not 4. I'd add another 1/2 cup ricotta (the larger pan could be why I needed more). We tried (unsuccessfully) to cut it using thread. I cooled it completely--probably 3 hours--and we didn't have any problem cutting it with a sharp, serrated knife. This would be delicious with any kind of fruits or berries--blueberries, peaches--whatever is in season. Definitely a keeper.

Love this cake. I have made this twice. Once in the round version for my husband's birthday and again on a Half sheet pan for a rectangular version (this version was easy to cut into four pieces for four even layers and you could use a biscuit cutter to make individual round cakes. I have used nectarines and strawberries and lemonecello and Grand Marnier for the syrup. This cake has great shelf life in the fridge -up to a week staying firm. I used three cups of ricotta filling.

This was good and the cake layers baked up beautifully. Next time, though, I will add a cup or so of sweetened whipped cream to the ricotta mixture, and perhaps make a little extra syrup. I felt the dessert was a bit dry and needs a little extra something...

This was really, really good. I had 2 problems: I only had 9 1/2" springform pan, not 8", and I did not have time to make the cake in advance, resulting in a crumbly cake that was a challenge to cut into 4 layers. I summoned my inner Julia Child and plopped it all together anyway, and let's just say it didn't look like the picture. It was totally fine anyway - the ricotta and strawberries hid the mess and it was delicious. Next time I will use a little less sugar in the cake.

I didn't have enough filling. I would increase the filling by at least 1/3.
Also it would be helpful to have had the 1/2 cup water listed in the ingredients for the syrup instead of finding it in the text.

Delicious and beautiful. Made frosting using some goat cheeses (fromage blanc & a little yogurt cheese) and a little goat yogurt to loosen. Made barely enough to frost the main cake, so will increase a tiny bit in future. Also had some syrup left over so used,that to sweeten/juice the strawberries (which I quartered). Will definitely make again, perhaps in raspberry season.

My cake fell while still in the oven. I did not open the oven door. For the first ten minutes or so it looked perfect (through the oven window). I followed directions exactly. I keep an oven thermometer in my oven at all times. Any help from anyone?

8" pan still in the oven, had to say this made enough batter that I had to quickly prep an additional pan and made 6 cupcakes (baked those only 10 min.) And no, I didn't overbeat the batter. smells lovely.

Easy, impressive looking cake. As suggested, I baked the beautiful silken batter in a 1/4 sheet pan for 12 minutes (convection); quartered it; and made a 4 tiered rectangle. At the risk of raising the ire of purists, I added some finely chopped almonds and bittersweet chocolate to the ricotta mixture for texture, taste & visual interest. (Really, you never know what's going to set contributors off, especially changes made to regional dishes or dietary concerns/quirks. It's just food, people.)

This was delicious and I was asked for the recipe numerous times. A great alternative to strawberry shortcake. A bit more syrup and more ricotta spread would be recommended and the batter is deceiving for an 8" pan. Seems like too much so I moved it to a 9 inch and was even worried!

Did a trial bake today using hand mixer, baking in a 9/12 springform (the extra batter notes!) and lined the bottom with parchment (so much easier). This is to be my mom's 87th bd cake when I visit Boston so made it using tools she has. Got three layers (used flat grill pan side--the 1/4 rim did make it easier to cut with a serrated knife). Cut back the sugar, increased the lemon zest, no alcohol in the syrup. Used 4 cups of ricotta with confectioner sugar- barely covered it. Fabulous!

Just don't use flavored dental floss

Not the easiest, but delish! I used GF flour and an 8.5" springform. I put parchment on the bottom of the pan and didn't grease the sides (I saw this technique in another sponge cake recipe). It needed about 15 extra minutes in the oven, and the center sank just a little, but I was able to slice three very fragile layers. Per other notes, I augmented the ricotta with 1 c. heavy cream, whipped and folded in - so, so good and made a three-year-old's dream of strawberry birthday cake come true.

It is essential that you check the humidity level in your home before baking this. This cake, like meringue, is egg heavy and will fall if prepared in high humidity. I baked this, followed all instructions, a scewer came out clean when poked through the middle of the cake. It looked fine. I let it rest and then on day two it fell in the center. To my amazement it had not fully baked in the center even though it had been in the oven an extra 5 minutes beyond recommended cooking time.

Followed all instructions, made no modifications other than using Bob’s Red Mill GF baking flour, which I normally have excellent results with, but this cake was a failure. When I went to cut the cake the top layer was mushy in the middle. I had baked the cake for the prescribed time and when done a screwer placed in the middle came out clean. The bottom of the cake was fully cooked so I was able to serve a modified version.

I used a 8 1/2 inch springform pan with unfortunate results. The bottom half cooked completely, the top center was uncooked and gooey.

My first attempt was meh. My cassata rose in the oven and the collapsed. Sponge was rubbery. 2nd try fantastic. Eggs at room temp are essential. Carefully and evenly folding flour into batter also critical. I used three 9 1/2 inch cake pans. They were perfect - I can bake all three on same oven rack. No cutting necessary. Used 1 cup of syrup and 525 gr ricotta. Complete success. topped with strawberries from our garden. Makes me look like a gifted baker!

Delicious! As others have said, sponge can be tricky: at first I was worried when my initially perfect-looking cake started sinking in the middle, but I was able to rescue it by cooling it upside down (some recipe notes on this would be helpful!). Did 3 layers instead of 4, made 3 cups of filling instead of 2 (good call), though used only 1/4 c sugar and it was still plenty sweet. Don’t be shy with the syrup. Will make again, though next time may try Melissa Clark’s recipe for the sponge.

I decided to follow up with a review of the final result, using the failed sponge. Like Clare, I decided to bake a second sponge, using a Mary Berry recipe, which produced a thinner, even layer that I used as my base. After painting the delicious syrup and layering with ricotta, I filled in the sunken sponge with lots of ricotta. When it was time to serve, I tossed the berries with leftover syrup. Mary Berry's sponge didn't come close to Tanis's. The cake was still delicious. Will try again.

I appreciated the notes and tips from the experienced bakers, taking them into consideration. I had achieved the proper result of thick batter and peaks and, as others have mentioned here, following the instructions to the letter. My sponge rose beautifully, and then sank miserably. Will try to rescue the cake once it's cooled.

My cake came out perfectly with a 2 1/2 inch rise in an 8 inch springform pan. The ricotta definitely needs to be increased to at least 3 cups - recipe should be corrected. Yum!

Made with homemade ricotta and used straight amaretto instead of syrup. Used home-canned peaches for the top since strawberries are out of season now.

I did this with gluten free flour and corn starch instead of the cake flour and it still turned out pretty good! The sponge cake's texture was definitely GF, if you know what I mean, making it a little harder to spread syrup/ricotta on but I think it tastes yummy!

Echoing some others - my cake didn't rise at all. I couldn't achieve a thickened egg mixture, possibly because I didn't use a whip attachment, but hand held beaters instead? It came out very dense, but still tasted delicious, so I went with two layers, and put a berry/ ricotta layer in the middle, since the density of the cake could handle the added weight. Beautiful and tasty, but probably very different than the recipe intended...

I divided the batter into 2 round layer cake pans and split each of those in half with a long serrated knife, which I think worked fine. You need much more ricotta cream than is stated, I doubled it and it was still a bit skimpy. I used Gran Marnier instead of the grappa.

I guess I messed up somewhere because this cake didn't rise at all. I would have thought it was an issue with the recipe because there was no leavener in the recipe, but since no other commenters seem to have had the same issue I guess it was a mistake on my part.The flavor of this cake was delicious, I loved the almond and lemon together. Just going to have to keep practicing with it so I can get the bake on it correct.

I followed this recipe exactly except I increased the ricotta to 3 cups as suggested by others. I had to use a hand mixer and after 30 minutes the (room temp) egg whites only barely held peaks. No matter, the cake turned out fine. I didn’t find it sweet enough for a birthday cake but with tea in the afternoon it’s fine. I would incorporate mascarpone if I made it again.