I am immensely grateful for the chaos that happens when you have two boys who keep everyone busy around here.  Our Valentine’s Day is spent with the baby bears, which gives them ultimate contentment.  Everyday is a special day when we are with our loved ones, right?  That said, I do like to make something special on the 14th.  It’s a quiet day, with just the four of us.
This layered ice cream, with a crunch and some cushiony cake in between, is quite special. Â This dessert has a story, and I always love making this one at home.
All the Glassware and the beautiful Tray is from Z Gallerie.  You can get everything here on www.zgallerie.com.
The first time I had cassata ice cream was in middle school when dad got me a slice on a Sunday.  My cousin and I were hooked.  We begged for Rs. 9 (25 cents) from our parents and walked a lot to enjoy a large slice of this ice cream goodness.  It was delicious.  Soon, it became a Sunday post-lunch routine.  I remember dad telling me that they increase the price of this particular ice cream every month. There was a period of addiction and it soon faded…
I got married, came to America, and got very busy in a different routine. However, I did not forget about it.  A year later, I went back to my favorite cousin’s wedding.  Amidst the shrieks of laughter and wedding pandemonium, we both decided to sneak out to enjoy the roadside food and this ice cream.  We walked the same path to the same corner store.  We ordered 2 large (in my mind) cassata slices.  Lo and behold it came, mini versions that costed 8 times more.  “Whaat,” I asked “is this the price for 2?” She replied, “Ash, where have you been? India is too expensive now.”  I enjoyed, but never went back.
I make it now, and it tastes the same (at least I feel that way). Â My boys enjoy it the same way we enjoyed as kids. Â The memories that go with this dessert are priceless.
Have a Great Valentine All.
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup or 1 stick unsalted butter
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 4 tbsp buttermilk or 2 tbsp yogurt and mix with 2 tbsp of water
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup of water
- Thin sheet of plain cake(recipe for eggless cake follows)
- 1 pint of chocolate icecream
- 1 pint strawberry icecream
- 1 pint pistachio icecream
- 1 pint mango icecream
- ½ cup dried mixed fruits finely chopped mixed into strawberry icecream
- ½ cup cashewnuts chopped into small pieces
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- I used a 13-9 inch pan. Butter and use a parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Melt the butter, do not brown it. Add the sugar and vanilla and mix well till the sugar dissolves.
- In a small bowl, take the buttermilk, vinegar, baking soda and mix and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Add the water, buttermilk mixture and butter sugar to the flour. Use a rubber spatula or whip to mix it quickly. DO NOT over beat it. This process should be quick.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until it springs back.
- Cut the cake to any shape you want.
- You could make a large dessert using a cake pan or make it personal with wine glasses. Your freeze proof wine glasses.
- Let the ice cream sit on the counter top to melt a bit.
- Fill the glass to about ½ inch using a spoon and freeze it for at least an hour before you pour the next layer of ice cream. In between one of the layers, add a slice or two of the cake.
- You can layer it any way you want.
- Before the last layer sets, add the cashew pieces and freeze until you are ready to serve. Leave it out for about 10-15 minutes before serving.
Disclaimer: Thank you to Z Gallerie for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are purely my own.
Beautiful post And loved the story behind this yummilicious dessert! Thanks for sharing
Food Memories are so fun right?..Hey, thanks for taking the time to visit the blog. I need to blog your shrimp recipe soon:-).xo
Sounds good…soon will do it 🙂
That’s so true Asha…indeed fun,food n memories! :-))
We absolutely enjoyed it! And, kids will luv to make this dessert n devour!
Lovely memories I enjoyed reading. Great presentation.
I really would love one now! It looks so good.
Beautiful photography, Asha! And equally beautiful recipe. I am 100% that this cassata ice cream is authentic and delicious! Happy Valentine’s, love!
Looks absolutely stunning!! you really brought back my childhood memories. Wish you a very Happy Valentine’s Day!
Shweta, thanks my dear.
Amazing how time makes treats and other goodies rise in price so much! Glad y’all recreated your tradition when you went back Asha – and you are so right “everyday is a special day when we are with our loved ones”!
These cassata ice cream in glasses look wonderful. Happy Valentine’s day to you and your boys and hubs! xx
Wow! This ‘CASSATA’ is a stunner! Insanely YUMMY, and looks incredible with all those layers. Photographs are gorgeous too! 🙂
Ok, so you have A favourite cousin?? Mine would kill me if I singled one out!!
I miss the days of getting ice cream in India. Though I never lived there, when we visited my mamus would take us out. Good times.
This looks wonderful, and I know it’s better than the one you used to eat. Better ingredients, better product!
Happy V Day to you as well, Ash
haha..true. But, she is my everything.:-). The good thing is my other cousins don’t read my blog, helps.
I really enjoyed reading the story behind this mouthwatering dessert. And the pictures are stunning, as always btw!
I would have loved to enjoy this dessert on all occasions. It looks so yummy and easy to make. So glad you share with all of us how to make it, Ash 🙂
P.S. I feel the same way about my country. Last time I was in Bangkok, I was shocked about the cost of living over there, too.
I’ve never had cassata ice cream, but this looks so tempting!
oh my god!! you have made one of my most favorite desserts Ash! I am going to make this soon, thanks for the recipe!
OMG! Love this dessert and clicks. Absolutely gorgeous!
Remember eating this dessert at wedding receptions. Always looked forward to it.
Holy cow – this is beautiful! The photos are gorgeous and hooked me right in. I love the pretty layers and textures (the chopped cashews on top, I’ve got to try!) and I can imagine digging my spoon in and getting all that flavor. I can relate to your story and loved reading it. Hope you had a lovely V-Day; you must have some very happy bears in your home with this!
I love how you’re incorporating your childhood food memories into your kids’ taste buds! I’ve never heard of cassata ice cream, but this layering of flavors sounds so tasty. I must try!
I love the story of your memories behind this dessert, Ash, but too bad it’s so expensive! That’s ok, because obviously you know how to make it, and much more elegantly! This dessert is beautiful and I would love to try this! Hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day.
Oh I love when food has a story. I always remember local roadside foods at home..brings back the best memories. But now that I am in the US, married and with a different routine as you said..I tend to just make them at home. I love the sound of this ice cream and the color too 🙂 Hope you had a wonderful weekend with your boys.
Absolutely love the styling on this Ash! It’s gorgeous 😀
Wow! Ash, this dessert and your stunning styling and photography embody your blog’s title, “Food Fashion Party”! Party at your house…for a special Cassata layered treat! Just perfectly romantic, in my mind at least, for V-Day…especially with the special egg-less, buttermilk butter cake! Thanks for sharing, my friend. You always share the very best! xo
So happy I stumbled upon your blog through Instagram! Your photos and recipes are beautiful!
This is so beautiful Ash! I have been a bit under the weather and have missed your lovely posts. Cassata, I have so many memories too some of which I have shared in my earlier posts. These beauties are for sure even better than the original ones that came smudged and semi-melted in road side shops. They tasted great but never looked as pretty as these. I am close to quite a few of my cousins so I know the feeling:-)
What a gorgeous dessert, Ash! I loved reading about the story behind this. So glad you learned how to make it instead. It sounds amazing and I really wish I had some now 🙂