Ricotta and lemon cake: a gluten-free, light and fragrant dessert

February 20, 2022

An afternoon tea, a tasty breakfast or a treat in the evening while watching a movie: it's always the right time for a dessert that satisfies our desire for sweets. But we can't always indulge in this, the most decadent of sins - gluttony - that requires processing, preparations and unhealthy ingredients. If you are looking for a tasty gluten-free dessert, you can try a recipe for a simple ricotta and lemon cake.

The recipe can then be adjusted according to taste, adding ingredients as desired such as almonds, chocolate or berries. Read on to find out how to prepare it:

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Ingredients for 6 people:

200 grams of cottage cheese
1 whole egg and one yolk
30 grams of finely grated lemon zest
120 almond flour (if you had almond meal, which is slightly coarser grated almonds than the ground version, that's even better)
80 grams of granulated sugar (but cane sugar is fine too)
10 grams of sliced almonds
Powdered sugar

How to prepare the cake

Turn on the oven to 160°C if static, 140°C if ventilated (320°F / 280°F).
Line a round pan / cake tin 20 cm in diameter (or smaller, if you want the cake to be higher).
Work the ricotta until it is creamy, and add the lemon zest.
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until you have a frothy mixture, then gently incorporate them into the ricotta with the help of a spatula.
Separately, whip the egg white (it is better when you double the doses, but you can also do it with one) and also mix it with the ricotta with the egg, trying not to let it separate.
Add the almond flour to the dough, and work in with circular movements from top to bottom until you have a homogeneous mixture.
Pour the mixture into the pan / cake tin.
Sprinkle the surface with sliced almonds.
Cook for about 50-60 minutes, or until, after inserting a toothpick in the center, it come out dry.
Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Variations:

You can replace the lemon peel with that of an orange, or even mix them together.
You can add chocolate chips to the dough. The amount is up to you, but try 80-100 grams to start.
This cake is also very good accompanied by a coulis of berries, or a light sauce. To prepare it you will need 250 grams of berries (of your choice), 40 grams of sugar, 50 ml of water and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Put everything in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. When it comes to a boil, simmer for 5-10 minutes until all the sauce thickens a little. You can blend with a hand blender for a smoother texture.
There is also a faster version to get a similar sauce: just heat 3 tablespoons of jam with one or two of water in a saucepan (adjust the quantities according to taste)!

Enjoy your dessert!