Cassata is Sicily’s over-the-top special-occasion cake. Sponge cake is flavored with sweet rum syrup and filled with ricotta cheese studded with candied citron, cinnamon, and vanilla. The whole cake is enveloped in sheets of marzipan and gilded with candied fruits.

Prepare:

Have ready an 8-inch springform pan. Puree in a food processor until perfectly smooth, 3 to 4 minutes:

Add and pulse until combined:

Cut two 8-inch round layers and two 13 × 1 ½-inch strips from the cooled sponge cake. Brush with:

Place one cake layer, moist side up, in the bottom of the springform pan. Line the sides of the pan with the strips, moist sides facing in. Trim the strips to fit snugly and cut level with the pan rim. Scrape the ricotta filling into the pan and spread evenly. Place the second cake layer, moist side down, on top of the filling. Press to level. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Remove the pan ring and invert the cake onto a serving platter (or leave it on the pan bottom). Refrigerate until needed.

Combine in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer:

Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Knead until smooth and pliable:

Use a rolling pin to roll a little less than half of the marzipan between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a smooth 9 ½-inch round; to avoid creases, peel off and reposition the parchment paper now and then. Brush the top and sides of the cake generously with the warm apricot glaze. Center the marzipan, best side facing up, on top of the cake, smoothing the surface and pressing the edges over and against the sides of the cake. Roll the remaining marzipan into a rough 12 × 8-inch rectangle. Cut 4 neat strips, each 7 inches long and exactly as wide as the cake is tall. One by one, press the strips smoothly against the sides of the cake, overlapping the edges neatly. Arrange on top of the cake in a geometric pattern:

sticking the fruit in place with a little apricot jam or light corn syrup. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 8 hours before serving.