I will never forget my first encounter with cassata Siciliana, a Sicilian classic I have termed “dessert of the gods” ever since. It was my first day in Palermo, and I had already fallen deeply in love with the city and its crumbling Baroque beauty. As always, I’d gone straight to a local for advice on where to eat, and they pointed me to Bar Rosanero–just across from the Botanical Gardens–for something sweet and an espresso. 

“Something sweet” is an understatement. Like a rich woman eyeing up the next colossal jewel to weigh herself down with, I peered through the glass counter across a glowing array of glazed, powdered, and iced treats. My eyes froze on a round cake with white icing, topped with red, orange, and green candied fruit.