2 round yellow cakes (your choice)

Bake TWO (8 or 9-inch) round yellow cakes from your favorite scratch recipe or if you must, use store bought mixes. While the cakes are cooling prepare your rum syrup...

RUM SYRUP:

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
4 thick orange slices
2 thick lemon slices
2/3 cup golden rum

In a small saucepan combine sugar, water, orange and lemon slices and bring to a boil. Stir til sugar is dissolved. Boil gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Discard fruit. Stir in rum and set aside to cool. Then prepare your ricotta cheese filling...

RICOTTA CHEESE FILLING:

1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
8 oz. candied cherries, chopped (I use 1/2 red and 1/2 green)
1 tsp. rum
2 tsp. melted semi-sweet chocolate

In a medium bowl add ricotta cheese and confectioners' sugar. Beat with a mixer until well combined, about 3 minutes. Stir in chocolate pieces, cherries and rum.

Remove 1 cup cheese filling, put in a small bowl and stir in melted chocolate until well blended. Refrigerate both fillings until ready to assemble Cassata.

ASSEMBLY:

Split each cake layer in half, you will have 4 layers. Place one of your layers cut side up on your serving cake plate. Drizzle 1/4 of the rum syrup evenly over your layer, then spread 1/2 of the white cheese filling. Place the next layer cut side up on top of the white cheese filling and drizzle 1/4 cup of the rum syrup evenly over your layer, then spread 1/2 of the chocolate cheese filling. Continue with the same procedure for the next 2 layers, ending with the chocolate cheese filling on top.

TOPPING:

1 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. confectioners' sugar
cherries (for garnish)

Beat heavy cream with confectioners' sugar. Frost cake. Garnish with cherries and refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Mangiare!

Submitted by: Jill Koch