Sicilian Cassata

Beat the eggs with the sugar for a long time until you obtain a well-aerated, fluffy, and frothy mixture. Flavor with vanillin.

Sift the flour over the mixture, blending it in, then pour the mixture into a greased and floured 20X30 cm rectangular mold and bake at 180°C for 25/30 minutes.

Remove the sponge cake from the oven, unmold it, and let it cool on a rack.

Line a 20 cm Ø cassata mold with plastic wrap and cover the bottom with a disc of sponge cake cut to size.

Also cut slices about 5 cm high with slightly trapezoidal sides to easily line the edge of the mold.

Sift the ricotta, add the powdered sugar and flavor, then beat until creamy.

Add the candied fruits.

Fill the sponge cake shell with the filling, leveling it.

Cover with a second disc of sponge cake cut to size and place a plate on top, pressing lightly.

Refrigerate for 8 hours.

Unmold the cassata onto a rack, placing it on a rigid disc of slightly smaller diameter to easily move the cassata.

Brush the cassata with warm apricot jelly.

On a sheet of parchment paper dusted with powdered sugar, roll out the almond paste already colored with a touch of green coloring to a thickness of 3/4 mm.

Wrap the edge of the cake, leaving a few mm of excess.

Remove the residual powdered sugar with a brush dipped in a little white liqueur.

Prepare the glaze by beating the indicated ingredients, set aside 100 g, and pour the rest over the surface of the cassata, covering it.

Reinforce the remaining glaze with 20 g of powdered sugar and, using a piping bag with a small round nozzle, proceed to place dots on the edge and decorate the green band.

Refrigerate again for a few hours and, before serving, complete the center of the cake with a garnish of candied fruits.