Cassatina Napoletana
The small, sponge-based cousin of cassata
A single-serving shell of pan di spagna, glazed white with naspro icing, filled with sweetened sheep's-milk ricotta and chocolate chips, finished with a candied cherry. Related to the famous Sicilian cassata by name only.
This is not the cake covered on the blog's other Cassata Napoletana page, but it's closer kin than the shared name alone suggests. Both start from the same place — layers of pan di spagna around a sweetened ricotta filling. The cassatina is simply the smaller, plainer version: one mouthful instead of a cake for the table, glazed in a thin white sugar icing called naspro instead of wrapped in a dome of green almond paste, and finished in minutes rather than assembled the day before.
The filling differs too, in the same direction — simpler rather than different. Where the full cassata folds candied fruit through its ricotta, the cassatina keeps it plain: ricotta di pecora — sheep's-milk ricotta, finer and less watery than cow's — worked smooth with sugar and studded with chocolate chips instead. The single candied cherry on top is the traditional finishing touch, small and unmistakable.
The same cassata idea — pan di spagna and sweetened ricotta — scaled down to one bite and dressed simpler: naspro instead of almond paste, chocolate chips instead of candied fruit.
The recipe
Makes about 6 individual cassatine.
Cassatina Napoletana — pan di spagna glazed white, sweetened ricotta and chocolate chips. Click to enlarge.
1 batchPan di spagna, baked as a thin sheet
400 gRicotta di pecora, well-drained
120 gPowdered sugar
80 gDark chocolate chips
250 gPowdered sugar, for the naspro glaze
3–4 tbspWater or lemon juice, for the glaze
6Candied cherries, to finish
1
Beat the ricotta smooth with the powdered sugar until no lumps remain, then fold in the chocolate chips.
2
Cut the pan di spagna sheet into small rounds, two per cassatina. Sandwich a generous layer of the ricotta filling between two rounds for each one.
3
Chill the assembled cassatine for at least an hour so the filling firms up before glazing.
4
Make the naspro: whisk the powdered sugar with the water or lemon juice a spoonful at a time, until you have a smooth, pourable but opaque white glaze.
5
Set the cassatine on a rack and pour the glaze evenly over each one, letting the excess drip through. Top each with a candied cherry before the glaze sets.
Let the glaze set at room temperature, then refrigerate until serving.
Related
Cassata Napoletana
The full-size version this one is scaled down from — same pan di spagna and ricotta, wrapped in almond paste with candied fruit instead. See
the full recipe.
Teste di Moro
The other single-serving sponge dolce, chocolate rather than ricotta. See
the full recipe.
Buon appetito.
