Raspberry Almond Ricotta Cake
sandravalvassori.com
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) extra-virgin olive oil (see note #1)
- 1 1/2 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 (80g) cup almond flour
- 1 tablespoon (12g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (4g) kosher salt
- 1½ cups (365g) ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- grated zest of 1 lemon (optional, but delicious)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3 large eggs, brought to room temperature
- 1 cup frozen raspberries, divided (see notes #2 and #3)
- 1 cup 85g flaked almonds
- optional: confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and very lightly brush the sides of the pan with butter or olive oil.
- In a small saucepan, or in the microwave, melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until very smooth. Add the eggs in one at a time, whisking in between each addition to ensure each egg is well incorporated before adding the other. Whisk or gently fold in the flour mixture just until blended.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the butter and olive oil mixture until completely incorporated into the batter. Do not over mix. Gently fold in 3/4 cup of the raspberries (the frozen raspberries will streak the batter a little - that's okay).
- Pour into the cake pan and spread evenly, smoothing the top. Dot the top with the remaining raspberries, gently pushing them slightly into the batter. Scatter the almond flakes over top.
- Bake for 55-70 minutes or until a tester or long wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (see note #5). If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Before unmoullding, set cake on a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. If you wish, dust with a light coating of confectioner's sugar just before serving.
Notes
- Olive oil - A few tablespoons of olive oil help extend the longevity of the cake. I find it also adds more flavor to the crumb. You can use all 8 tablespoons of melted butter, if you wish.
- If using frozen raspberries, don't add more than 1 cup. Otherwise, your cake might come out a little soggy. If using fresh strawberries, use a heaping 1/2 cup more.
- Add frozen raspberries while still completely frozen. If your frozen raspberries have thawed even a little before adding them to the batter, your cake will bake somewhat soggy. Measure out the berries then keep them frozen right until needed.
- Test the cake without removing it from the oven - Always test the doneness of your cake while it is still in the oven. This way, if it needs more time to bake, it will not have cooled down as much.
- Use an instant read thermometer to test the cake. This is not a quick-cooking cake. It could take up to 75 minutes to bake, depending on many variables. If you have one, insert an instant read thermometer right in the middle of the cake. It should read between 200ºF - 215ºF. If you don't have an instant read thermometer, you a long skewer inserted in the middle of the cake should come out pretty clean.
- Use a scale to weigh the ingredients. For best results, weigh the flour and other ingredients. If you don’t have a scale, make sure to spoon flour into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top with a knife.
- Do not over-mix. Once you add the flour(s), mix only until combined or the cake will be not be as tender.