This is my mom's recipe the late Margaret Ann Fanelli Colenzo.
You're in for a real traditional Italian creamy ricotta-filled cheesecake that is bursting with cherries and chocolate!
Cassata siciliana is a traditional sweet from Sicily, Italy. Mom was from Bari, Italy and this is her version.
There are over 10 different varieties of cassata in Italy.
The cake is believed to have originated in or around Palermo, where sheep’s milk ricotta, pistachios, and citrus were prevalent.
The Italian cheesecake is moistened with ricotta cheese baked into a delicious crust that has fruits and chocolate in it.
It's a tradition in our family to make this cheesecake every Easter, everyone looks forward to it.
You may also like to try our Italian Easter Dessert Roundup of recipes we make traditionally every year, or our Best Easter Italian Recipes there's something for everyone.
Over the years, we preferred it without some of the traditional candied fruits in it called citron, which is an ingredient used in many bakery versions.
Mom Made So Many
She made several of these every year, one for everyone in the family.
This was her favorite dessert for Easter to make and everyone raved about this cheesecake.
A classic traditional cheesecake most Italians make every year at Easter with ricotta cheese, fruits, and chocolate.
Not like a traditional french cheesecake with cream cheese, this is much lighter and moist.
I have cut the recipe in half for years, now the family is growing and I make the whole recipe!
Other Versions of Cassata from different Regions pastry shops in Italy(instead of chocolate and cherry additions)
- lemon extract and lemon zest around 1 tablespoon of each
- orange extract and orange zest same amounts as lemon
- rum extract and chocolate grated instead of vanilla
- citron or other dried fruits with limoncello
- all chocolate no cherries
Cassata Tips
- The recipe makes 2 9x 9 square pans and I double the crust recipe for a thicker top
- This recipe can be doubled to make 4 or larger cassata cheesecakes
- I prefer a thicker crust so double the recipe for the crust.
- The egg wash makes a beautiful sheen on top of the pie, so don't forget to brush the top
- Spray your tins generously for easy removal or whatever baking pans you use or line with parchment paper.
- Citron was not a favorite but an ingredient used often in cheesecake, I left it optional.
- Don't stir the batter after the cherries are added or the whole batter will turn pink, fold gently.
- This version that is very moist and delicious is from mom's Region of Bari, Italy
- Cassata needs to be kept refrigerated.
- Cassata will freeze well, just defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Ingredients You Will Need:
- eggs
- whole milk Ricotta
- chocolate bar grated( she always used milk chocolate Hersheys)
- citron (mom always used this it's optional) I prefer this without it
- maraschino cherries
- pure vanilla
- flour
- cinnamon
- milk
- butter softened
- sugar
- baking powder
Try Some Of My Other Favorite Recipes
Best Easter Roundup
Pusties
Italian Cannoli
Holiday Cannoli Mousse
Pastry in Italy
This ancient queen of Sicilian pastries, we cannot leave behind her sister, the Cannoli.
One of our favorites to also make around Easter time.
That is a hard pastry is fried by immersion, preferably in the extra virgin olive oil, the cornerstone of Sicilian quality products, which type of frying makes it crunchy and fragrant.
After it has cooled, it is filled with ricotta filling cream and decorated with candied cherry or pistachio nuts depending on whether one is on the Eastern or Western side of Sicily
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Italian Cheesecake
No matter what Region in Italian, ricotta cheesecake is made in many different ways, you can adapt the recipe to however you prefer or your family likes the filling.
Some use only citron, lemon zest or all chocolate, mom's way was with the maraschino cherries and chocolate and still after all these years that past still our favorite Easter memory of her cassata.
Check out the recipe, there is no right and wrong the filling is a basic tool and guide that will be a great addition to your Easter Italian Dinner, Buona Pasqua.
Italian Easter Cassata
Yield: 2 - 9 inch cheesecakes
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 1 Hour
This is an old family recipe called cassata which is a ricotta cheesecake with cherries and chocolate baked into a cookie dough style crust.
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup of sugar
- 1-15-ounce container of whole milk Ricotta
- 8 ounces chocolate bar grated( she always used milk chocolate Hersheys)
- 8 ounces of candied citron (mom always used this it's optional) I prefer this without it
- 1/2 a jar of maraschino cherries chopped in chunky pieces blotted dry with paper towels
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
- Mix all ingredients (except cherries and chocolate)together then fold in the cherries and chocolate and set aside.
- For the Crust:
- Note For Crust: double the recipe for a lattice dough top and make thin strips
- 2-1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 stick of butter ( equal to a 1/2 cup) softened not melted
- 3/4 cups of sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Other suggestions: this recipe can easily be doubled. This will make 2 - 9 x 9 thinly rolled out dough with a lattice crust. We like a thicker dough so I doubled the dough recipe. We use disposable square pans.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease two 9-inch pans lightly with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
- Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl until it forms a ball.
- Roll the dough out thin and line your prepared pans with it.
- Pour in the filling.
- Make a lattice-style crust and place the strips on the bottom and top like a weave.
- You can brush the top with beaten egg wash.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the crust looks brown and the middle looks solid around 35 to 45 minutes depending on how thick your cassata is and the pans you used.
- Cool completely before cutting.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator covered.
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Other Recipes We Love
Cannoli Stuffed French Toast
Italian Pizzelle Waffle Cookies
