Pasquetta, or Easter Monday, is a day to celebrate spring’s arrival with good friends. Social gatherings in Sicily almost always involve sharing a meal, and most meals are followed by sweets. Cassata cake (picture) is one of those sweets that can be found throughout the island. In the past, cassata used to be associated with only with Easter because it is round like the sun. The sun represents cycles–the daily rising and setting; the yearly birth and death of the land. With spring, the sun’s day time increases, and it nurtures the newly planted seeds. Cassata is a sweet sponge cake (often doused with Marsala wine) layered with sweet ricotta cream and decorated with marzapan (almond paste) and candied fruit. It’s decorations and their placements are often reminiscent of baroque designs.
