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Cakes
Cake Margherita
Cake Margherita/Cassata alla Margherita (sponge cake, layered with ricotta cheese and chopped bitter chocolate; frosted)
Originated from: Italy
Occasion: Any time & special times
Contributed by: Taken from "The Complete Italian Cook Book: LA CUCINA" by Rose L. Sorce (Grosset & Dunlap, 1953)

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Ingredients

For 1 Sponge Cake
1 cup flour, sifted
3 eggs, beaten thick
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons hot milk

For Layering
1/2 cup sugar
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
2 squares bitter chocolate, chopped fine
2 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/2 lb. glazed fruit, chopped

For frosting
1 egg white
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar



Directions

For sponge cake:

Beat eggs about 10 minutes until thick; gradually add sugar, lemon juice, flour and baking powder sifted together, and milk, then mix quickly until smooth.

Turn onto an ungreased tube pan, and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) about 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and invert pan until cooled.

When cool, sift powdered sugar over cake.

Note: This cake can be baked in an 8 inch by 8 inch cake pan in a moderate oven (350 degrees F) about 25 minutes, if preferred.

For layering:

Sieve ricotta three times, mix in sugar, chocolate and flavoring; blend and set aside in refrigerator until needed.

Cut sponge cake into three layers; spread half the ricotta filling on bottom layer and remainder on second layer.

Top with third layer and set in refrigerator.


Notes

This recipe was taken from "The Complete Italian Cook Book: La Cucina" by Rose L. Sorce. It was published by Grosset & Dunlap in 1953. For the entire copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org.... P.S. The 1953 edition of this cook book fails to mention what to do with the glazed fruit. Also, the reader is asked to see page 291 for the recipe for the sponge cake, but it is actually on a different page. Photo: Mary Melfi.

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