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    Mini Cassata Siciliana Cakes

    The classic Italian cake Cassata Siciliana shines as a traditional favorite at Easter. This version uses a muffin pan to create individual servings. I’m squeezing in one more Easter recipe before the holiday on Sunday. I’ve wanted to explore Cassata Siciliana for more than 2 years now! There are a few different versions with varying instructions, but this one with its marzipan cover is an Easter classic. The green is so springy and the candied fruit adds a pop of color that is irresistible to my eye.When I began this recipe, I’d planned to make it as a single cake using a deep dish pie pan. I guess my pan grew legs and walked off, and it remains MIA. My improvisation involved a jumbo muffin tin to make 6 little cakes. They’re just the cutest! Now I’m almost glad that I couldn’t find that pie pan. (Almost.)If you love cannoli, then you’ll love eating this cake. The filling is practically cannoli cream. The ricotta cheese needs to drain overnight so it loses some of its moisture. This keeps the cakes from becoming soggy and protects the marzipan from breaking down. I must have researched at least 20 cassata filling recipes – and all of them different. Some opted for nuts and chocolate chips, others went all-in with candied fruit. I’m a huge fan of chocolate and pistachio together, so that’s what I put in this filling. It also has a little sugar along with the zest of one orange.A sheet of sponge cake will provide the tops and bottoms of the mini cakes. You’ll need some circle cookie cutters, around 2 3/4 inches and 3 1/2 inches. I own a set of round cutters just like this one that I use all the time. They’re so useful! If you don’t have cutters that size, you could use similar size jar or bottle caps, or cut some templates to trim around.Marzipan is easy to make, but ready-made will shortcut this recipe. I recommend using it. Just knead in some food color to create your favorite Easter green color. Roll it on a dusted surface and cut it into 2-inch strips. Line each muffin cavity with an overlapping piece. Press in evenly and trim away the excess. Now you’re ready to fill!The smaller cake pieces go in first. Lay them in and gently tamp them down. There’s no need to force them into the bottom. Next, fill with that delicious ricotta cheese mixture. Last, cover the filling with the large cake rounds. Refrigerate for about an hour. The marzipan coverings will be dusty with powdered sugar when you turn them out. I used a little almond extract and an art brush to remove it. The extract will evaporate quickly.Simple confectioners’ glaze whisks together with just powdered sugar, lemon juice, and a little milk. Be sure it’s thick and opaque. You’ll be using it to cover the top centers of the cakes, and you’ll also use it to pipe a few swags on the sides. Some Cassata Siciliana have elaborately piped designs on the green marzipan.Piping with this glaze is not as precise as I’d like it to be, but if you keep your design simple then things will work out fine. I think they’re real cute with single line swags and a few dotty embellishments!You’ll have a little ricotta filling left over, and if you save your cake scraps, you can make some mini trifles like I did! Just crumble the cake and layer with the ricotta in tiny dessert cups. I added some whipped cream and marzipan flowers. These little confections are deceptively light with their spongy cake layers and whipped ricotta filling. Individual desserts always feel special on the table, and these are not only tasty but a cheerful sight to behold. Sharing them has been a delight.  LEGGI TUTTO

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    Coconut Easter Bunny Cake

    Serve up the cutest coconut bunny cake for Easter! It’s a nostalgic favorite made from a single yellow 9-inch cake layer and decorated with flaked coconut. Growing up I remember my mom making a version of this coconut cake around Easter, and she’d use a pink jellybean for a rabbit nose. I thought the whole thing was so clever, and it was truly a special holiday with a bunny cake on our table.  I just had to make one this year. I’ve been missing my family and our big holiday meals, and the tradition of making this cake makes me feel closer to them. It’s fashioned from a single yellow cake layer, and with some easy carving it is transformed into a cute, furry-looking bunny.This cut-out cake design has been around for decades. I’ve seen so many home-baked versions over the years from friends and neighbors. I didn’t deviate much from the original design. I did opt for edible candy ears instead of the usual construction paper ears, but you should use whatever best suits your time constraints. The candy ears do take a little more effort. The cake layer is so delicious with a big dose of sour cream added to the batter. Slice it in half, frost with yummy coconut buttercream, and stick it together so that it looks like a big taco. Cut a notch out of the top of the cake and be sure to save the scraps. It looks fairly bunny body-shaped at this point. Stick a couple of scrap pieces on top of the head area with frosting and trim it to a roundish shape. The video at the end of this blog post will be helpful to follow for the carving technique – definitely check it out!Another smaller scrap piece will make the tail on the opposite end of the head. Cover the entire thing with frosting. You don’t have to be too precious with this step, just get it all covered. Shredded coconut will cover up most imperfections.As I mentioned earlier, mom always made the bunny ears using construction paper. It’s easiest, really. But I decided to make candy ears. I cut out two rabbit ear shapes out of heavy card stock and coated them with a thick layer of candy. While they’re still wet, lift one end using a toothpick and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. After a chill in the freezer peel the card stock from the backs of the candy. Again – the video will be helpful here. Melted pink candy and sanding sugar will give the bunny’s ears more detail. I also brushed the white areas with corn syrup and added coconut for a fuzzy appearance. A little buttercream dotted on the back of a real satin bow holds it in place and makes the cake look cuddly like a toy. (Aw!)Two black Sixlets eyes and a heart-shaped candy nose gives this bunny a cute face. If you don’t have those candies on hand then black and pink jellybeans will work.How could I NOT make some green coconut ‘grass’? It’s so classic with this cake. I layered it with grassy green sprinkles and a few gorgeous Sconza Jordan almonds. I could go on and on about how perfect this candy is. Each candy almond is so polished and unblemished. They look like little bird eggs! This is such a good recipe for a single cake layer. It’s tender and the sour cream helps it retain its softness. It is the perfect blank canvas for nearly any small baking project, but especially this one. Have a sweet Easter! 

      LEGGI TUTTO