Cassata Ala Co-op
Ingredients
- 4 C gold-n-white flour
- 1 t salt
- 2 t baking powder
- ½ t mace
- 1½ C butter
- 3 C sugar
- 1 C milk
- 2 t vanilla
- 2 T brandy or marsala or rum flavoring
- 1 lb ricotta cheese (15 oz container will do)
- 2-3 T heavy cream
- ¼ C sugar
- 3 T orange liqueur or orange flavoring
- 3 T dried cranberries , coarsely chopped
- 2 oz semisweet chocolate , coarsely chopped (for the filling)
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate , cut or broken into small pieces (for the frosting)
- ¼ C strong black coffee
- ½ lb unsalted butter , cut into ½' pieces and thoroughly chilled
Instructions
- To make the loaves: Sift 4 C gold-n-white flour. Sift again with 1 t salt, 2 t baking powder, ½ t mace.
- Cream 1½ C butter very well. Add 3 C sugar and continue creaming until light. Add 8 eggs, one at a time and continue beating well after each addition.
- Add flour mixture alternately with 1 C milk, 2 t vanilla, 2 T brandy flavoring.
- Stir only until well blended. Bake in 3 greased 9" loaf pans for one hour at 325° F. Makes 3 loaves.
- With a sharp, serrated knife slice off end crusts and level top of each loaf if it is rounded. Cut loaves horizontally into 1/2" to 3/4" slabs.
- To make the filling: Beat ricotta constantly, and then add the cream, ¼ C sugar and liqueur. With a spatula, fold in craisins and 2 oz chocolate.
- Divide fill- ing into three portions. Center bottom slab of loaf on a flat cake plate and spread with part of one portion of filling. Carefully place another slab on top, keeping sides and ends even, and spread with more filling — end with plain slice on top. Repeat process for each loaf. Gently press the loaf togeth- er to make it as compact as possible. Wrap in waxed paper and chill for two or more hours until filling is firm.
- To make the frosting: Melt the 12 oz chocolate with the coffee in a heavy saucepan over low heat OR in the top of a double boiler, stirring con- stantly until chocolate is completely smooth. Remove pan from heat and beat in chilled butter, one piece at a time. Continue beating until mixture is smooth. Then chill this frosting until it thickens to spreading consistency.
- With a small metal spatula or table knife, spread the frosting evenly over the top, sides and ends of each thoroughly chilled loaf, swirling it dec- oratively. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let the Cassata “ripen” in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Tightly double wrap the Cassata if you are freezing it.