Cassata Alla Siciliana

Trinkets's Note:

I made this for my friend Lori's Mother's birthday dinner. It was on a Friday night after a very busy week. I made a pound cake and then dressed it up, jiffy quick, in an hour and refrigerated until dinner. Beautiful, easy, and homemade, very chocolaty but not too sweet. I am not a dessert maker so if I can do this...so can anyone. The original recipe came from Ciro and Sal's restaurant in P'Town.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 1 mins
• Prep Time: 1 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 cake (pound cake)
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup espresso (or very strong coffee)
• 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1⁄3; cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 orange, zest of
• 4 ounces milk chocolate candy bars , grated
• 4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Directions:

1. In a microwavable bowl, melt the butter.
2. Add the coffee and the chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth. You might need to microwave the mixture a few short times to allow full melting of the chocolate chips.
3. Once it's all melty and smooth, put the bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice so it can cool down and firm up.
4. Stir every 10-15 minutes to keep it smooth as it firms.
5. Then start on the filling: Mix the ricotta with the sugar, orange zest and grated chocolate.
6. After the pound cake has cooled, slice it into three horizontal layers.
7. Drizzle the Grand Marier over all the layers.
8. Then spread half the filling on the bottom layer, top with the next cake layer and spread with the remaining filling.
9. Then top with the third layer of cake and spread the frosting on top and all over.
10. Refrigerate until dinner.
11. Drizzle the Gand Marnier.