Sicilian Cheese Cake (Sicily)

Desserts

Ingredients

Ricotta or cottage cheese - 1 3/4 pounds

Granulated sugar - 2 cups

Ground cinnamon

Bitter chocolate, crushed - 5 squares

Candied fruit - 1 pound

Pistachio or pine nuts, chopped - 4 tbsps

Sponge cake, made without fat - 1 pound

Confectioners sugar

Maraschino liqueur - 5 tbsps

Beat the ricotta in a large bowl until smooth. Dissolve the sugar with 2 or 3 tbsps water over a low heat, and cook gently until it just begins to change color. Take it from the heat immediately and beat in the ricotta. Add a pinch of cinnamon and the crushed chocolate, and mix well. Take half the candied fruits, reserving the best pieces to decorate the cake, and chop them into very small pieces. Add to the ricotta mixture, together with the nuts and stir well.

Cut the sponge into 1/2 inch thick slices and moisten them with maraschino. Line a deep round bowl about 10 inches in diameter with some of the slices and fill with the ricotta mixture, smoothing it down neatly with the blade of a knife. Cover with the remaining slices of sponge and chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Cut out a cardboard base of the same size as the top of the bowl. Cover this with wax paper. Place it on top of the bowl with the waxed side towards the cake and, holding it firmly, turn the cake upside down on to the base. Carefully lift off the bowl. Decorate the cake with the reserved pieces of fruit, either whole or thickly sliced, and sprinkle with sifted confectioners sugar. Serve immediately.