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The classic cassata just got better - Layers of cake, loads of ice cream, cheesecake and a generous sprinkling of nuts! With my detailed step-by-step guide, this 2.0 version of the Italian dessert will be your new favourite sweet obsession!

Classic Cassata sliced on a worktop showing all the four layers

Cassata Siciliana. Apparently that’s what this lavish cake with Sicilian origins was called before it got super popular and became known simply as the Cassata! Let me clarify, the OG cassata is very different from the Cassata ice cream we are served in ice cream parlors here in India. The original one was made with a layer of green-tinted marzipan in which sponge cake was soaked in sugar syrup and topped with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. We are used to the simpler version - scoops of nuts, vanilla and strawberry ice cream piled on top of sponge cake.

We’ve been tinkering with the idea of upgrading the Indian cassata to make it our own! You know how we love experimenting with flavours! So this Indian Cassata Version 2.0 has layers of sponge cake, scoops of ice cream (our favourite flavours), cheesecake and nuts. I just wanna lay down the facts… Making Cassata is not a piece of cake (haha, see what I did there?). You’ll have to dedicate some time to this, probably buy some ingredients which may not be part of your pantry staples. There are 3-4 components that go into it, but it’s worth all the effort! And soooo much fun!

So here’s how to make cassata!

In every bite of this cassata, you will taste these following layers:

Vanilla Sponge - the foundation which balances all the other layers
Ice cream - Different flavours of ice cream
Vanilla Cheesecake - Rich, creamy with a smooth mouthfeel
And lots of dry fruit topping

A slice of classic cassata with cheesecake on a plate with a fork

The Vanilla Sponge

In the cassata cake, the vanilla sponge layer is the one that acts as a base for all the other flavours. It soaks up the sugar syrup and ice cream, and it’s also pretty simple to make. This recipe makes a moist, soft sponge with comforting vanilla extract notes.

We aren’t following too many rules with this cake because it's going to be the bottom layer of our cassata. The method is simple, and you just have to mix all the ingredients together
Make sure to grease the baking tray and line it with parchment so that the sponge does not stick or crumble
Preheat the oven at 180C, this will ensure the sponge cooks evenly
Use a skewer or a knife to poke into the sponge, if it comes out clean that means the sponge is done.

Simple Syrup

It’s as simple as it sounds! Simple syrup is a basic sugar syrup which is drizzled over the vanilla sponge till it’s completely soaked. This syrup has 3 ingredients - water, sugar and lemon juice. Your job is to just allow the sugar granules to dissolve in the pot of water till it becomes a nice, thick, syrupy consistency. This should take less than 5 minutes! Cool it down before using.

Ice cream

Thick slabs of ice cream, all different flavours, are what breathe life and colour into the cassata. We dug into the ice cream every time we did a cassata trial. Sheer gluttony. We’ve picked mango and strawberry flavours of ice cream for this cassata recipe. But where there’s ice cream, there are no rules 🙂 Go ahead and pick your favourite flavours to go into your cassata cake. Some flavours that work well are - pistachio, vanilla, strawberry, mango, and even chocolate! Use store bought ice cream, leave it out for a bit to soften and then layer your favourite flavours.

Vanilla Cheesecake

Guilty, as charged! This is our tweak on the original Cassata and IT IS SO AMAZING. Cheesecake is easily one of our favourite desserts. The creaminess of the cheesecake and rich mouthfeel adds the oomph to the cassata. Don’t worry, this cheesecake is not like making another dessert from scratch - it’s made with cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and whipped cream.

And you don’t even need a biscuit base!

Beat the cream cheese and sugar really well so the sugar granules dissolve
You must make sure there are no lumps in this mixture coz ain’t nobody gonna eat a lumpy cheesecake
When you fold in the whipped cream into the mixture, use gentle semi-circular strokes along the edges of the bowl. The idea is to retain the air bubbles in the whipped cream and keep this light and airy. DO NOT vigorously stir the mixture, that’ll knock all the air out of the cheesecake

For the topping, we dry-roasted some pistachios, almonds and cashews on the stovetop and cut them into chunks.

Assembling the Cassata

Cassata is a larger-than-life dessert. You’ll feel like Bob the Builder while building up the layers. And here’s how to assemble it.

Line a loaf tin with aluminium foil or cling film and gently place the cake layer at the bottom
Pour some simple syrup on the sponge to keep it moist
The slabs of ice cream go next. Each slab should be ¾ inch thick, that’s the best way to get lots of ice cream in every bite
Freeze for an hour after every layer of ice cream to let it set
Finally, add the cheesecake layer and the nuts
After this step, the cassata needs to set in the freezer for at least 6 hours. I’d say leave it overnight, and NO midnight snacking!
Carefully demould the cake; we don’t wanna upset those gorgeous layers.
Cut up slices of the cassata cake - You should be able to see each layer separately. It’s gonna be so colorful and lovely.

The whole point of the cassata cake is that it is a larger-than-life dessert, unlike other simpler but crave-worthy desserts. You’ll get a major kick when you serve up this cassata cake and that person goes “Woaaah that looks so good!” They’ll also tell you they can’t finish it… (Lies :P)

If you have questions about this gorgeous eye-candy-like dessert, please leave me a comment below, I’ll be more than happy to help!

Closeup of a bite takes out of the classic cassata with cheesecake

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Watch how to make Classic Cassata - Upgraded Recipe Video

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