Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake!

Ah.... a long overdue full weekend! A small glimpse of what is to come as harvest is slowly (a little too slow...) coming to an end. 

Now what is one to do with 2 whole days? Well let me tell you, eat lots of food, run lots of miles, watch lots of tv, and make lots of goodies. Surely this rare anomaly can't be wasted. 

This seemly normal cake is anything but! I've never used ricotta in anything before and after this, it definitely won't be the last. This recipe is almost too easy to have produced such a delicious cake: light, moist, and just the right amount of sweet, its melt in your mouth good. The lemon zest brings just the right amount of citrus burst to counter the sweet and nuttiness of the cake, its a definite winner!

I used Trader Joe's almond meal which is more course than the Red Mill's version so the cake came out a lot darker and grainier looking than the cake from the original recipe but I kind of like its rustic looks, fits the season (and not to mention half the price!).

Lemon Ricotta Almond Cake

From: Cakelets and Doilies 

Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup lemon zest
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 ½ cup almond meal
• Sliced almonds for garnish
• 300 g ricotta cheese
• Powder sugar for dusting

Procedures:

1. Cream together butter, 1 cup sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest.
2. Gradually add in egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until combined
3. Add in almond meal and beat until combined.
4. Fold in ricotta cheese
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form, add in the rest of the sugar and then beat until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold egg whites into the batter at 1/3 cup intervals until everything is well incorporated.
7. Transfer batter into a 9" spring foam pan and sprinkle sliced almonds on top
8. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes
9. Dust with powder sugar