Lemon Ricotta Cake With Toasted Almonds
Ingredients
1 TBs butter; to grease the pan
1 TB confectioner’s sugar for dusting the pan
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter; softened (65 degrees)
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups sugar; divided (¼ cup + 1 ¼ cup)
2 egg whites
2 egg yolks
15 ounces ricotta cheese; drained
2 TB grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
½ cup finely chopped almonds
1 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup almonds; blanched and sliced
1 TB confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling on top of cake after baking
Fresh whipped cream for serving
Directions
Place the ricotta cheese in a strainer set over a bowl to drain any excess water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare a 9” springform pan using 1 TB of butter to grease the bottom and sides
Add 1 TB of confectioner’s sugar to lightly dust the pan (instead of flour)
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside
Using a Kitchenaid with beater attachment, cream together 1 stick of butter, 1 ¼ cups of sugar, and ricotta cheese; beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes)
Add the egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla extract; cream together for an additional minute
Add the flour mixture a little at a time; continue to beat on medium speed until combined
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chopped almonds
In a clean medium sized bowl, beat the egg whites on high with a hand mixer or stand mixer using a whisk attachment until soft peaks start to form
Slowly add ¼ cup of the sugar while beating until stiff peaks form
Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter until incorporated; continue to fold in the remaining egg whites 1/3 at a time; do not stir or it will deflate the egg whites
Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan using an offset spatula to spread
Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly over the top of the cake batter
Bake for 45-55 minutes until the cake is lightly browned on the edges and starts to pull away from the sides of the baking pan
Insert a toothpick into the center to test for doneness
Cool the cake and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh fruit on the side
Servings: 10
Equipment Needed:
9” springform pan
Food processor to chop the nuts
Small bowls to divide the eggs
Small bowls to divide the sugar
Rubber spatulas (2)
Offset spatula
Kitchenaid mixers (2) or one Kitchenaid and one hand mixer w/bowl
Whisk and batter attachments for mixers
Toothpick or cake tester