Cassata Siciliana | Chilled Ricotta Cake with Candied Fruit

Line a strainer with two layers of cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, add the ricotta, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, discard the liquid collected in the bowl. The ricotta should be dry and thick, holding together when scooped with a spoon.

Press the drained ricotta through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a spoon; this removes any graininess and gives the cream a smooth, silky texture. Add the powdered sugar and orange zest and mix with a spatula until smooth, then fold in the chopped chocolate. Keep the cream refrigerated until ready to use.

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Once the sugar has dissolved completely, remove the pan from the heat. Add the orange juice and let the syrup cool until lukewarm; hot syrup will make the sponge cake soggy.

Knead the almond paste with the ground pistachios until the pistachios are evenly distributed and the paste turns pale green. Roll it between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 3 mm, then cut strips 5 cm wide and as tall as the sides of the mold. Slice the sponge cake 1 cm thick, cut strips to match the almond paste, and reserve the rest for the base and top.

Line a 20 cm cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to fold over the top. Arrange alternating strips of almond paste and sponge cake around the sides, with no gaps. Cover the bottom with slices of sponge cake, filling any gaps with small pieces. Brush syrup over the exposed sponge cake; do not brush it onto the almond paste.

Spoon the ricotta cream into the mold and press it toward the sides with the back of a spoon, smoothing it without leaving air pockets. Cover the top with the remaining sponge cake slices and brush them with syrup. Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the top, press gently with your palm, and refrigerate the pan.

Uncover the top, place a serving plate over the pan, and invert them together. Lift off the pan and peel away the plastic wrap. To make the icing, stir the powdered sugar and lemon juice until it falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon; if it is too thick, add a few drops of water. Pour the icing over the top of the cake and spread it to the edges with a spatula, leaving the green almond paste visible on the sides.

Arrange the candied fruit on top before the icing sets: place one whole piece in the center, with strips of candied citrus peel and cherries around it. Slice the cake once the icing has set, wiping the knife after each cut.