Cassata Cake

End your Italian feast on a sweet note with our Cassata Cake! The best part? Our cassata cake recipe uses a convenient shortcut, which means you get to enjoy a slice of this delicious Italian specialty in no time!

Serves: 12

Chilling Time: 2 hr

Cooking Time: 40 min

What You'll Need:

1 (18-1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix, batter prepared according to the package directions

1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons dark rum

1/4 cup water

1 cup (1/2 pint) heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Note)

What To Do:

1. Bake cake batter according to package directions for two 9-inch round layers; let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pans to a wire rack to finish cooling.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, chocolate chips, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the vanilla, and cinnamon; mix well, then cover and chill until ready to use.

3. In a small bowl, combine rum, water, and remaining granulated sugar; mix well. Drizzle half of the mixture over each cake layer until liquid is completely absorbed. Place one cake layer on a serving platter, cover with ricotta cheese mixture and top with second cake layer.

4. In a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed, beat heavy cream and confectioners' sugar 5 to 6 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Frost top and sides of cake with whipped cream then sprinkle with toasted almonds.

5. Cover loosely and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Note: To toast the almonds, place them on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 4 to 5 minutes, or just until golden. They toast very quickly, so watch them carefully to avoid burning!