Ricotta And Lemon Olive Oil Cake
This recipe began with the scant inspiration of a tub of ricotta fast approaching its use by date. I was hit with the urge to make a ricotta cake. Jason, always on the hunt for new Nudo recipes, suggested I also incorporate our lemon oil. I was slightly nervous about what might ensue but the baking gods shone and this really yummy cake – sort of half cake, half cheesecake – is the result. It’s very moist and incredibly moreish and I’m afraid I can’t tell you how well it keeps as I don’t think we’re going to get the chance to find out; I made it at about 11 o’clock last night and it’s already three-quarters gone...
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – 60g/2.1oz melted or softened
- Nudo Lemoni oil – 120g/4.2oz
- Caster sugar – 170g/6oz
- Tub of ricotta – 250g/8.8oz
- Eggs - 3
- Lemons - zest of all three, juice of one
- Self-raising flour – 125g/4.4oz (though next time I’m going to try ground almonds instead)
- Baking powder - 1Â level tsp
Method
- Step 1
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/GM4.
- Step 2
- Beat together the butter, oil and sugar – being lazy I always do this with an electric whisk these days and it seems to work fine.
- Step 3
- Add the yolks of the eggs, then the zest and juice of the lemons and the ricotta, beating them all together. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are good and stiff (but not so much that they become dry).
- Step 4
- Carefully fold the egg whites into the main mixture, trying not to lose too much air (that is, don’t overmix), then do the same with the flour and baking powder.
- Step 5
- Pour the mixture into a large cake tin – I used a square one but it really doesn’t matter – and bake for about 40 minutes. It goes a lovely golden brown on top.
- Step 6
- It’s delicious still warm with a bit of cream and a few raspberries.
