Cassata siciliana

Step 1: The night before, set 1 ½ lb sheep's or cow's milk ricotta in a fine sieve over a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge to drain.

Step 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Butter a 22 cm round cake tin with ⅓ oz butter and line the base with baking paper.

Step 3: Whisk 4 eggs, 4 oz caster sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest with an electric mixer on high for 8–10 minutes, until tripled in volume, pale and thick enough to leave a ribbon trail that holds for 3 seconds.

Step 4: Sift 3 ½ oz plain flour and ⅔ oz potato starch or cornflour over the eggs in three goes, folding each in gently with a large spoon until no streaks of flour remain. Common mistake: stirring instead of folding; the air you whisked in escapes and the sponge bakes flat and rubbery.

Step 5: Pour into the tin and bake for 25–30 minutes, until golden, risen and springy when pressed in the middle. Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes.

Step 6: Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.

Step 7: Make the syrup: warm 1 ¾ oz sugar with ¼ cup water until dissolved, take off the heat and add 3 ½ tbsp orange juice. Leave to cool.

Step 8: Push the drained ricotta through a sieve into a bowl with a spatula, so it is completely smooth. Beat in 6 ½ oz icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract, then fold in 2 ⅞ oz dark chocolate chips and 1 ¾ oz candied orange peel. Chill.

Step 9: Knead ¼ tsp green food colouring into 9 oz marzipan until it is an even pale green. Roll it out 4 mm thick between two sheets of baking paper and cut strips as tall as your tin's sides.

Step 10: Line a 22 cm sloping-sided cassata tin or a cake tin with cling film. Press the marzipan strips around the sides, joining the seams.

Step 11: Slice the sponge horizontally into two thin rounds, about 1 cm each. Lay one round in the base of the tin, trimming to fit and patching any gaps with offcuts.

Step 12: Brush the sponge generously with half the syrup. Spoon in the ricotta filling and level it.

Step 13: Cover with the second sponge round, press down gently and brush with the rest of the syrup. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until firm.

Step 14: Turn the cassata out onto a serving plate, sponge side down, and peel off the cling film.

Step 15: Mix 7 oz icing sugar with 2 tbsp lemon juice into a thick, pourable glaze. Spread it over the top of the cake, letting it run just over the edge of the marzipan.

Step 16: Arrange 5 ½ oz whole candied fruit (cherries, orange slices, citron) on top in a pattern while the glaze is soft. Chill for 30 minutes to set, and keep in the fridge until serving.