Ingredients

• 150g (1 cup) plain flour, plus extra, to dust
• 75g (1/2 cup) cornflour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 eggs, separated
• 165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 500g marzipan
• Green food colouring
• 250g candied cedro (citron), (see note) thinly shaved lengthwise
• 3 candied clementines, (see note) halved

Syrup

• 165g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 125ml (1/2 cup) Strega, (see note) Cointreau or Grand Marnier

Ricotta cream

• 600g firm fresh ricotta (see note)
• 160g (1 cup) icing sugar
• 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 orange, zested
• 100g (about 3) candied clementines, (see note) chopped
• 50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped

Method

• Step 1 Preheat oven to 170C. Lightly grease a 25cm springform pan, then line the base with baking paper. Dust the side with flour and shake out the excess.
• Step 2 Sift flour, cornflour and baking powder into a bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg yolks, 110g (1/2 cup) sugar, 2 tablespoons hot water and vanilla until mixture is thick and pale, and forms ribbons.
• Step 3 In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, whisk egg whites to stiff peaks. Whisking continuously, add remaining 55g (1/4 cup) sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until meringue is glossy and sugar is dissolved. To check, rub a little meringue between your fingers.
• Step 4 Using a large metal spoon, stir flour mixture into yolk mixture to combine well. Stir one-third of meringue into batter to loosen, then gently fold in remaining meringue until just combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan and level with the back of a spoon. Bake cake for 35 minutes or until golden and the centre springs back when lightly pressed. (Cover with baking paper if over-browning.) Cool cake completely in pan on a wire rack.
• Step 5 Meanwhile, to make syrup, place sugar and 180ml (3/4 cup) water in a small pan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring, to dissolve sugar. Heat for 5 minutes or until reduced by one-quarter. Cool, then stir in liqueur.
• Step 6 To make ricotta cream, process ricotta, sugar, vanilla and orange zest in a food processor until smooth and fluffy. Transfer to a bowl, then stir in clementines and chocolate. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• Step 7 To assemble cassata, carefully remove cake from pan and place it upright on a board. Holding a sharp knife vertically, cut all the way through the cake 8mm from the edge, then carefully continue cutting all the way around the edge of the cake until you have cut out a ‘ring’. Carefully place the cake ring back into the pan to line the side. Using a large serrated knife, cut remaining cake in half horizontally into 2 layers. Place top layer of cake, crust-side down, in base of pan, brush with half the syrup, then spread with ricotta mixture. Top with the remaining cake layer, crust-side up. Gently press cake down, then carefully remove from the pan. Brush the cake all over with the remaining syrup.
• Step 8 Using your hands, knead marzipan until soft, then add 2–3 drops food colouring and knead until the colour is evenly distributed and marzipan is tinted pale green. (To avoid green hands, wear disposable gloves.)
• Step 9 Dust a work surface lightly with icing sugar, then roll out marzipan to a 5mm-thick, 40cm round. Carefully roll marzipan up around rolling pin, then unroll it over cake to cover. Trim excess from base, leaving a little to tuck under the cake and form a neat edge.
• Step 10 Decorate the top of the cassata with twists of cedro and candied clementines.