Raspberry ricotta cake
Tart and tangy raspberries pair perfectly with creamy and mild ricotta in this easy, squidgy cake that's perfect for a make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients
- spray oil, for greasing
- 220g/8oz plain flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 365²µ/12½´Ç³ú ricotta, plus 400g/14oz to serve
- 275g/9¾oz caster sugar
- 3 large free-range eggs
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange, zest only (optional)
- 115g/4oz unsalted butter, melted
- 340²µâ€“450²µ/12´Ç³ú–1±ô²ú raspberries, fresh or frozen
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Spray a 23cm/9in round cake tin with cooking spray and line with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the ricotta, 220g/8oz of the sugar, the eggs, vanilla and citrus zest (if using) until smooth. Whisk or gently fold this into the flour mixture until just blended.
Fold in the melted butter, followed by half of the raspberries, crushing them ever so slightly as you fold – you don't want them to disappear into the mixture, just to be distributed evenly to create a nice, streaky look, almost like tie-dye.
Transfer the mixture to the cake tin and scatter the remaining raspberries and remaining sugar over the top. (It might look like a lot of sugar – it is! But it is necessary, I promise.)
Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before taking out of the tin.
Slice and serve with the extra ricotta on the side.