CUSSata Cake (Italian-inspired cake with Strawberries and Ricotta cream)

CUSSata Cake  (Italian-inspired cake with Strawberries and Ricotta cream)

CUSSata Cake? …. F*** YES!  Italian Cassata cakes may date back to the 9th or 10th century.  The original version of the cake included a rum-soaked sponge cake with sweetened Ricotta cheese. Our CUSSata cake is a simplified version that gives you delicious Ricotta cheese, and fresh strawberry layers.  While the Cassata cake was often served for Easter, the CUSSata dessert makes a delicious and light cake for the summer. Decorate with strawberries and rosemary to make every day as sweet as Christmas.

Here’s what the cake looks like after layer 1:

CUSSata Cake with Ricotta and Strawberry filling

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5 from 1 vote

CUSSata Cake

Fresh and moist Italian Cassata Cake

Prep Time40 mins

Active Time28 mins

Assembly Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 38 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: birthday cake, Cassata cake, Cussata cake, Italian cake, ricotta, ricotta filling, strawberry dessert

Yield: 12

Author: Hanna Jobs

Equipment

• Cake pans

Materials

Cake Mix

• Your favorite Yellow Cake Mix
• Oil (as directed by mix)
• Water (as directed by mix)
• Eggs (as directed by mix)

Ricotta Filling Milk

• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 2½ Tbs flour

Ricotta Filling (Rest)

• 2 sticks Softened Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 tbsp Lemon zest
• 2 tbsp Vanilla
• ½ cup Ricotta

Strawberries

• 1 pint Strawberries (Washed, Hulled, and thinly Sliced)

Whipped Cream

• 1 pint Chilled Heavy Whipping Cream
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Prepare cake in two 8 inch Rounds

• Prepare round pans with cooking spray
• Blend ingredients as directed by cake mix
• Bake as directed by cake mix
• Allow the cakes to cool for at least 30 minutes

Tempered milk and flour mixture

• Add the milk to a pot
• Whisk in the flour, until you have no lumps
• Turn stove to simmer
• Keep stirring until milk begins to bubble
• Turn the stove off
• Continue stirring another 30 seconds
• Let the mixture cool for 3-5 minutes

Mix the Remainder of the Ricotta mix

• Mix Softened Butter and Sugar together first
• Mix in the Lemon Zest, Vanilla, and Ricotta
• Mix in Tempered Milk and Flour mixture
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Make Whipping Cream

• Add Chilled Heavy Whipping cream, Sugar, and Vanilla to a mixing bowl
• Using a standing mixer, with wire whip or beaters to mix- start at low speed
• Increase the mixing speed slowly, to high speed, as the cream starts to firm up
• Beat for 60-90 seconds or until you see stiff peaks

Assemble Cake

• Carefully take the flattest round out of the pan, and place it on a cake plate
• Cover the cooled cake with ½ of the Ricotta Mix
• Add ½ of the washed and thinly sliced Strawberries to the top of the Ricotta Mix
• Place the next round cake on top
• Cover with the remaining Ricotta Mix
• Place remaining sliced Strawberries on top of the new layer of Ricotta Mix
• Cover the entire cake with the Whipped Cream
• Decorate with Strawberries
• Refrigerate your cake until ready to serve

AphrodesiHacks

You could use Cool Whip- Make sure it is cool, but not frozen. If you microwave Cool-Whip, it often becomes a drippy mess

Be sure to stick with your Milk, while tempering… Don’t let it burn- or you may be adding extra CUSS words to the process!

While Casata cakes are traditionally Strawberry, you could Mix it up with your favorite fruit…maybe blueberry or peach?

Perfect Pairing

How about a delicious Strawberry Mojito with your cake?  Try our Skinny Whore-jito:  http://cusskitchen.com/skinny-whore-jito