Setteveli, Seven Sinful Layers
Friday, 20th November 2009 | 6 Comments
It is not a coincidence that the Setteveli cake has the same number of strata as there are deadly sins. This seven layer confection so perfectly inspires gluttony that had it been around in the thirteenth century, Dante surely would have made the third circle of hell wider to accommodate the corpulent sinners who ate it. The moment I saw the Setteveli in Pasticceria Massaro’s window in Palermo I was immediately overcome with the desire to roll around in its hazelnut bavarian cream, praline, and chocolate mousse for all eternity, my idea of paradise and the polar opposite of the punishment handed down to Il Sommo Poeta’s gluttonous sinners. While Massaro’s Setteveli was divine, Pasticceria Cappello’s is said to be even better. I will confirm or dispute this claim tomorrow in my tireless quest for the most heavenly dessert in Palermo.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Wow-I need the recipe-I have to make this for Christmas
November 20th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
You had me at hazelnut Bavarian cream! Wow…I think I will have to track down a recipe as I don’t foresee a trip to Palermo any time soon.
November 22nd, 2009 at 10:16 pm
I wasn’t able to coax the recipe out of anyone but if i dig it up i will pass it along for sure.
after a trip to cappello i can report that massaro’s cake was better-fresher and with a more distinct crunch to its cereal praline layer.
November 23rd, 2009 at 3:04 am
[...] a three day trip to Palermo, I managed to get in nine desserts, including two Setteveli, some frutta martorana, and a big ice cream sandwich. Leave it to the palermitani to put fill [...]
December 31st, 2009 at 2:23 am
[...] Dessert Setteveli at Massaro (Palermo) Panacea at Fata Morgana (Rome) Cremolose at Il Chiosco delle Cremolose [...]
April 6th, 2011 at 1:29 am
[...] pane ca’ meusa in the Ballaro’ Market, a big fat ice cream sandwich at Oriol, setteveil at Massaro, stigghiuole on some filthy streetcorner near the Porta Nuova, everything at Zia Pina in [...]