Lemon Ricotta Cake

Lemon Ricotta Cake

Admittedly this is a not so traditional Italian Ricotta Cake – the more traditional ricotta cake is made either with either almond flour or semolina flour.

This ricotta cake is perfectly rich, it has a good density (similar to muffins), it’s amazingly moist, and perfectly lemony.

And it’s perfectly highlighted with toppings of fresh and juicy, lightly sweetened strawberries and fluffy whipped cream. The blend of the three layers together is simply yummy.

TIPS FOR MAKING RICOTTA CAKE

• This cake has the tendency to stick to the pan, so make sure you grease the sides of your cake tin nicely with butter and line the bottom with baking or parchment paper.
• Adding fresh lemon juice means the cake batter might look a little curdled, but it’s totally fine.
  
• This cake is moist and dense, so it won’t rise as much as a regular cake. You can tell it’s ready by inserting a skewer into the center, it should come out clean.
  
• Leave the cake to cool completely in the cake tin as it will be quite fragile when warm.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup ricotta, (81 grams)
• zest of half a lemon
• 1/3 a medium apple, (approx 1/3 cup) peeled and grated
• powdered sugar, to dust the top with
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, (43 grams) softened, plus more for greasing pan
• 5.5 tbsp granulated sugar, (69 grams)
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp all-purpose flour, (47 grams)
• 1 tsp baking powder, (4 grams)
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preparation

  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    
  • Make the candied lemons: In a high-walled, wide pan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
    
  • Add the lemon slices to the pan, making sure they are submerged in the syrup. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lemons have softened and have started to caramelize, about 35 minutes.
    
  • Gently transfer the lemon slices to the prepared baking sheet and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. The candied lemons can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using. (The syrup can be strained, cooled, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Try adding it to cocktails and desserts!)
    
  • Make the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) nonstick springform pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 3 tablespoons of flour to the greased pan and tilt to coat completely. Turn the pan over and tap out any excess flour. Set aside.
    
  • In a large bowl, beat the remaining butter with an electric hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running, add the sugar and beat until evenly incorporated, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each before adding the next. Stir in the lemon extract and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Set aside.
    
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining cup of flour, the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
    
  • Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the ricotta and stir just until combined, but do not overmix.
    
  • Set the prepared pan on a baking sheet. Pour the batter into the pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
    
  • Bake for 45 minutes, or until the sides and top of the cake are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    
  • Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool for at least 45 minutes. Once the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, release the springform. With a wide metal spatula, gently transfer the cooled cake to a cake platter.
    
  • Dust the top of the cake with the powdered sugar. Top with the strawberries, blueberries, and lemon slices and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of lemon zest.
    
  1. Enjoy!

The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake

The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake

This is moist and has the perfect crumb. I cannot imagine making a chocolate cake using any other recipe. It is so easy to make and puts doctored cake mix recipes to shame. I’m eating a piece of the cake as I’m writing this, drooling all over my keyboard. It is insanely delicious. A decades search was worth the wait. 

As we continued on gobbling up the cake, drinking our coffee or iced cold milk, the compliments just kept coming. Then the requests for the recipe started. That’s generally when you know that folks really like what you’ve made if they ask for the recipe and tell you for what event they plan to serve it. As a cook, that really is one of the highest compliments you can receive - well, at least in my book.

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever

It had been good to listen to that they idea the cake was just as good following their last bite because they thought it was with their first. Here’s an additional superb factor about this recipe. The cake batter really may be produced in a bowl with out the use of a hefty duty mixer. Of course, that just makes things easier, but this really is effortlessly a recipe my Grandmother would have loved creating in her small kitchen area having a whisk and a bowl. And I’m sure it would have turned out completely, too.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1½ cups warm water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• butter and flour for coating and dusting the cake pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350º F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8-inch round cake pan with non stick cooking oil spraying.

CHOCOLATE CAKE:

• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine well.
• Add oil, egg, vanilla and milk to the flour mixture and beat well to combine. Pour in the boiling water (with the coffee), and mix until glossy.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 - 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the chocolate cake comes out semi-clean with small amount of cake (not runny batter) on it due to the fudgy texture.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Transfer cake from the pan to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

• Pour the cream into a small saucepan and heat over low heat for a few minutes. Watch that it doesn't boil or simmer it. Once the cream is hot, turn stove off and take the saucepan off the heat.
• Add in the chocolate chips; cover saucepan with a lid and let sit for a good 5 minutes to soften and melt the chocolate. 
• Uncover, and stir slowly first, with a spatula or wooden spoon, gradually mixing faster until ganache is smooth, creamy and glossy. Refrigerate for one hour or hour and a half until thick enough to spread (similar consistency to Nutella).
• Spread evenly over the cake.

NOTES

*For a fluffier cake, use 2 teaspoons baking powder. For a fudgier cake, use 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder.Best Fudgy Chocolate Cake has been adapted from the chocolate cake component of this recipe, swapping out butter for oil for texture.

SPRINGFORM PAN (PLEASE NOTE)

Springform pans are NOT 100% leakproof. Very thin cake batters such as this one will leak through the base. To combat this issue, line the base with parchment paper coming up where the sides meets the base to create a 'cover'. Place a baking sheet on the shelf below the cake pan (or the bottom of the oven) to catch any stray drips (don't put cake pans directly on the pan).