Cassata

Serves 10-12 For the marzipan:

80g shelled pistachio nuts 80g blanched almonds 80g icing sugar few drops of green food colouring 1 egg white, lightly beaten until frothy (reserve the yolk for the sponge cake) For the sponge cake:

170g plain flour 1½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 5 eggs 170g caster sugar zest of 1 orange For the filling and syrup:

150g caster sugar 700g fresh ricotta cheese 1 tsp vanilla extract ½ tsp ground cinnamon 70g dark chocolate, chopped 70g candied fruit, chopped 2 tbs Grand Marnier To finish:

200g icing sugar 1-2 tbs lemon juice glacé fruits To make the marzipan, place the pistachios and almonds in a food processor and chop finely. Add the icing sugar and process well. With the motor running, add the food colouring and enough of the egg white to just bring the mixture to a smooth dough. Wrap and set aside. To make the sponge cake, line a 21-24cm springform deep cake tin with baking paper. Heat the oven to 180°c. Put the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, mix well, then set aside. Break the five eggs into another bowl, add the reserved yolk, the sugar and the orange zest, then beat on high speed for about 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Fold in the flour mixture and spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Smooth the top, then bake for 30 minutes until well risen and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack. To make the filling, put 100g of the caster sugar in a bowl with the ricotta, vanilla and ground cinnamon, and beat well, ensuring the sugar is completely dissolved. Fold in the chocolate and candied fruit, then leave to chill in the fridge. To make the syrup, put the remaining 50g of caster sugar in a small pan with 30ml water and bring to a simmer over a medium to high heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat, stir in the Grand Marnier and set aside. Cut the sponge cake into 1cm-thick slices across the diameter. Line a 21-24cm cassata mould, tarte tatin tin or pie dish with sloping sides with clingfilm. Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, to about a ½cm thickness. Slice the marzipan into strips and use these to line the sides of the cassata mould, smoothing and flattening them where they overlap. Line the base and sides of the cassata mould with cake strips, cutting them to fit. Brush the cake surface generously with some of the syrup. Spoon in the ricotta filling and smooth the top. Cover the ricotta filling with more cake slices and brush with the remaining syrup. Wrap tightly with clingfilm and chill for 2 hours. Combine the icing sugar with enough lemon juice, added gradually, to make a smooth, thick glaze. Invert the cake onto a serving plate. Pour the glaze over the cake to cover evenly. Decorate with glacé fruits and chill until set, for at least 2 hours, or overnight.