Cherry & ricotta cake

Name: Cherry & ricotta cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 150 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 225 g caster sugar; 250 g ricotta; 2 unwaxed lemons, zest of all, juice of 1; 3 British Blacktail Medium Free Range Eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 175 g self-raising flour; ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp fine sea salt; 50 g flaked almonds; 200 g cherries, pitted; icing sugar, to serve (optional)

This simple, Italian-inspired cake from Lucas Hollweg is made using ricotta to keep the sponge deliciously squidgy. It’s as good with a cup of tea as it is with cream for pudding.

4 out of 5 stars(6) Rate this recipe

Serves8
CourseDessert
Prepare35 mins
Cook1 hr
Total time1 hr 35 mins
Pluscooling

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Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225g caster sugar
250g ricotta
2 unwaxed lemons, zest of all, juice of 1
3 British Blacktail Medium Free Range Eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
175g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
50g flaked almonds
200g cherries, pitted
icing sugar, to serve (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking parchment. In a freestanding mixer (or in a bowl using an electric hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Beat in the ricotta and lemon zest until combined, then, one at a time, mix in the eggs, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Finally, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a sieve, then sift over the butter mixture. Fold in ½ of the almonds until just incorporated (don’t overmix). Scrape into the prepared tin and scatter the cherries on top, followed by the remaining almonds.
Bake for 50 minutes-1 hour until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cover with foil towards the end of the cooking time if the cake is browning too much. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. Release from the tin and lightly dust with icing sugar to serve, if liked.