Cassata

Butter cake

Preheat oven to 160C. Butter a swiss roll pan, about 30cm x 20cm, and line it with paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix together the lemon juice and milk and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the eggs, beating thoroughly after each one. Add one-third of the flour, beat lightly. Add half the milk mixture. Add another third of the flour, the rest of the milk and the remaining flour. Combine very lightly. Bake 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the pan and cool completely before cutting. The cake can be wrapped in plastic and stored overnight in the fridge.

Lemon syrup

Simmer all ingredients until sugar is completely dissolved, stirring. Cool a little before using.

To make filling and assemble

Run the ricotta and a cup of the sugar in a food processor until it is smooth and creamy. Taste for sweetness. Add extra sugar if you wish. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and fold in the rest of the ingredients.

Lightly oil a log mould or a charlotte mould. Line the bottom and sides of the mould with thin slices of the cake (about 5mm), reserving sufficient cake for the top. Spoon or brush on two-thirds of the syrup. Pour the ricotta mixture into the mould. Tap the mould on the bench to settle the filling. Cover with extra cake slices and the rest of the syrup. Cover the cassata with plastic wrap or aluminium foil and refrigerate at least four hours before turning out and serving. (In Sicily the entire construction would be covered in a very thin sheet of rolled out marzipan, tinted pale apple-green, and the surface would then be decorated with silver balls, or finely piped icing decorations. I bought a packet of fondant icing and kneaded in a tiny quantity of green colouring before rolling it on my workbench dusted with pure icing sugar).

Serve with a compote of fruit or fresh berries.