Layer Cake pistachio with ricotta and strawberries. Today a Sicilian dessert, indeed a triumph of pastry made in Sicily based on green pistachio by Bronte Dop, the green gold of Sicily, and ricotta, inevitable in the sweet island. It was a long time since I had in mind this dessert, remember many excursions on Etna where desserts have a common denominator: the pistachio. Whoever follows me knows that I love pistachio and I use it often, in sweet and savory recipes. This dessert is a tribute to my Sicily and its colours: the Green pistachio, the white of our delicious ricotta (Queen of SICILIAN CASSATA the realization of which you can see on my YouTube channel), the red strawberries that give a touch of acidity that makes it more complex and more good.
The base is pistachio: I used basically Spain loaf doses, but I added fine chopped Bronte Green Gold (No flour, I wanted to achieve something more rustic), very little yeast and a little’ of butter to give softness. Then a simple syrup of water and sugar, While the cream is that of Sicilian cassata, that the strawberries have a new outfit, more cool and pleasant. The absolute protagonist of green grain is sweet, that fully covers, making the soft flavor and decided.
The pistachio IGP
The pistachio cake with ricotta and strawberries needs time to develop aromas and flavors: prepare it the day before and store in the refrigerator, then let half an hour at room temperature before sampling. To Bronte is a precious and valuable pistachio. In the area of Bronte if they produce 16 thousand tons per year but production is biennial and is just 1% of world production of pistachios. You will therefore understand what – the limited quantities views – you should be careful what you buy, and that is labeled as 'pistachio'.
If you like layer cakes also try the gorgeous CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM AND pistachio mascarpone AND BERRIES or the CAKE WITH CREAM AND WILD STRAWBERRIES. and of course all my RECIPES CAKES LAYERS. Have a good day!
LAYER CAKE PISTACHIO WITH CHEESE AND STRAWBERRIES (Sicilian recipe)
Print ThisINGREDIENTS
- Doses for a cake to 3 layers of 16 cm in diameter
- FOR THE BASE OF CAKE:
- 4 eggs
- 90 grams of flour 00
- 30 grams of butter
- 50 grams of finely chopped Bronte Dop pistachio
- 8 grams of baking powder
- 90 grams to granulated sugar extra fine
- FOR FILLING:
- 700 grams of ricotta cheese
- 200 grams of strawberries
- 200 grams of powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of organic vanilla extract
- AND STILL:
- 200 ml mineral water
- 80 grams of caster sugar
- chopped pistachios as required for coverage
PROCEEDINGS
To prepare the pistachio cake with ricotta and strawberries, you must first prepare the base of the cake. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees static. Put in a large bowl (or the planetary) eggs and sugar, then whisk until the mixture is puffy, fluffy and whitish: with an electric mixer it will take about 20 minutes, with the planetary un po’ less. Is’ important that the mixture of eggs and sugar is properly installed and ventilated, so do not rush. While whip the eggs, melt the butter over a very low heat, then put it in a bowl and allow it to cool. Merge it flush to the mixture, always working with whips.
Add flour and baking powder together and mix with a spatula gently, doing a movement from top to bottom to do mass and continue to incorporate air. From last, mix the chopped pistachios, always using a spatula.
Grease and flour a baking sheet of standard dimensions, then pour in the mixture level off with a spatula to a height of about one and a half centimeter. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or so. The cake should be golden but soft to the touch. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. When the cake is cold, get three discs of desired size (I used to cut a cake pan of 15 cm diameter). If you prefer, You can make a normal cake in a cake pan of 26 cm, cut it in half and fill with ricotta, proceeding then identically for covering the cake.
For the cream cheese, Sift the ricotta twice (with a sieve, a chinoise or even using the vegetable mill) so you get a smooth and silky cream. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and work with a spatula. Refrigerate.
For the syrup, put in a saucepan 200 milliliters of natural mineral water and 80 grams of caster sugar, bring to a boil and then reduce the liquid by half until Simmons. Allow to cool completely.
Spray the first layer of sponge cake with pistachio cake with ricotta and strawberries with the syrup, then fill and arrange on ricotta cheese half of strawberries. Cover with the second layer of sponge cake Spain, moisten and stuff, covering the ricotta with the rest of the strawberries. Complete with the last layer and drizzle with the syrup. Using a spatula to cakes, cover the entire cake with the cream cheese was, in order to obtain a thin cover, uniform and smooth. Distribute on the surface of the cake and sides the chopped pistachios, so that it adheres with patience and delicacy: the operation was long and spill grain anywhere, but I guarantee you the final glance is worth.
Keep the pistachio cake with ricotta and strawberries in the refrigerator until ready to serve. I recommend you prepare it the day before and let it sit over night in the refrigerator so that the cake settles and the flavors blend well. And now I just have to say: Enjoy your meal!


18 comments
I'm originally from Catania. EH,yes I also thought it might be a problem related to the oven. Also because two out of two came in the same way. I followed the directions in the recipe,using a 26 cm mold I thought the doses were the same. Yes,I should have cut it in half but since on the one hand it did not swell to prevent it from crumbling,I didn't want to risk.
But when you make the sponge cake or the daisy cake it makes you the same flaw? try to move the cake all over to one side, so that cooking is as much to the way possible. And maybe use a cupcater a little’ smaller or spread the sponge cake into a pan in a layer of one and a half centimeters and make the circles by cutting them. So thin it's hard not to go up. Let me know. ADA
Hi Ada, congratulations on your site! Being Sicilian,it is always nice to find typical recipes that keep the faith alive in reproposing some delicacies of our Earth. That being said,I tried to make this corn of Spain pistachio in a 26 cm cake tin only that in cooking I swelled only to one side,I think the doses I should have increased them? What do you think it was? Maybe from the banging of the eggs,or the flour wasn't incorporated at all… imagine that I've tried to make two, but unfortunately both have manifested the same flaw.
Hi Gabriella, Sicilian where? this is a simple sponge cake, if it swells you strangely may depend on the frame of the eggs, from the built-in flour maybe not perfectly but also from how you cook your oven… mine for example cooks a little’ more right and things tend to swell up a little bit’ more to the right. You put the whole dose in a 26-inch cupcavy.? I think it's a little bit’ large. Then you cut it in half or three?
If instead of strawberries you were using (few) chocolate chips?
Is the alternative that I had thought to myself if I hadn't found on new year's Eve wild strawberries (they eventually found). The pie loses some’ of acidity but the result remains very good! Let me know! ADA
Hi Ada,
I would like to make your dessert for Christmas dinner but I have two diners who don't like ricotta cheese……. do you have any suggestion to replace it or change my mind? pity me ricotta instead like a lot and the combination with Pistachio intrigues me. Thanks!
Hello Antonella! Then, Change pie if you can't use ricotta, because this I built completely on cream cheese and ricotta cheese pairing-pistachio and strawberry. I guarantee however, that among the sponge cake, La bagna, the fruit and sugar is not that ricotta feels very…. If you make a layer cake and stuff it with cream recalls putting jelly, otherwise that caving in. Try this, It's a great alternative. https://www.sicilianicreativiincucina.it/torta-cioccolato-mascarpone-pistacchio-frutti-bosco/
I read, I watch, I admire and envy your creativity, Although I dare not venture into these delicacies. I could use the paint of Prof. Lambicchi that when I was little, with a touch, making any image that became REAL!!! You always good good.
Alberta excuse the delay in responding, but I escaped from Rome for a weekend. Thank you very much. Though I'm sure you can where I can, even without paint ❤ ️
This cake is fantastic, congratulations! Good weekend!
Thank you ❤ ️
Hi Ada!
I wish you a good weekend- I'm very jealous, now I love Sicily. Our weekend in Palermo and’ was beautiful even though the weather was not so great but the city’ and’ great and there and’ loved it. Among other, We went to Two old guys- fantastic recommendation thanks, and Foccacceria- just as good. I ate my first spaghetti with sea urchin (that goodness ') and I came back with a suitcase full of semolina (I'm already’ Sicilian bread making!), fennel, Capers etc, etc…
We're already’ thinking on return. Hugs.
Hi Maja, but I'm so happy that you enjoyed Palermo! Now I hope you participate to Sicilian cuisine indeed, If you need some straight’ I am always here for you! A hug, ADA
ADA I hope to go again as soon as I have 2 seconds to look in the mirror,but I like assaissimo,you're a great,a myth and I mean it,very few like you!!!!
Hello Kitty Darling! But it should be, I always look at your recipes, I still remember the cassatelle di ricotta… perfect. I think both, When we do something siciliano, We give our best because we got the heart! I embrace you really strong. ADA
A lot of Nice, I will try!
Hi Carmen, heartfelt thanks! Let me know, I embrace you, ADA