This gluten-free Orange, Ricotta & Almond Cake is what you need if you’re cooking for anyone with Celiac disease or a wheat intolerance. Deliciously moist, dense & perfumed with the aromatic oils from the orange zest, serve as a dessert with the buttery orange sauce & a dollop of cream or for afternoon tea just as-is. The cake doesn’t necessarily require any adornments, the sauce & cream have the job of not just making the cake more delicious but also more dessert-like. Serve it how the mood du jour take you.
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That’s my darling mum’s writing & name you see in the pic above. We have the same name but hers is spelled incorrectly thanks to my Pa (mum’s dad). It was rectified with my name – Lovoni. This is on the back of a pic mum painted me. Sadly, dementia has removed her ability to draw or paint any more. Mum would of loved this cake even though she once claimed to my sis & me that she “didn’t like sweet things”, a statement we’ve never let her live down. Even now when she can’t understand. This cake though, she’d of liked. Especially with the orange butter sauce & cream. Extra cream. Extra sauce. Cheers, Lovoni xo
orange, ricotta & almond cake
Equipment
- 8-inch (20cm) deep, round cake pan
Ingredients
- stick butter, softened (4oz/113g/1/2 cup)
- 1 1/3 cups sugar (266g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
- 3 tablespoons finely grated orange rind
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 2 cups ground almonds almond flour or meal (240g)
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta (250ml)
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds (36g)
- icing sugar for dusting
- dried or candied orange slices for serving optional
- cream for serving optional
ORANGE BUTTER SAUCE
- 2/3 cup orange juice 180ml
- 1/3 cup sugar 66g
- 1/3 cup butter 76g
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch (20cm) deep, round cake pan & line base & side with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C/gas mark 3).
- Beat butter, 1/3 cup of sugar, vanilla & orange rind in a large bowl of electric mixer for 7 to 10 minutes, scraping the side of the bowl down a couple of times during beating, until light & creamy. Add the yolks & beat 2 to 3 minutes until well combined & mixture is slightly fluffy.
- Add ground almonds & ricotta & beat until well combined.
- Using a clean, dry balloon whisk attachment, beat egg whites in a clean, medium-size bowl, using an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar & beat until thick & glossy.
- Fold one-third of the egg white mixture into the almond mixture. Add the remaining egg white mixture, making sure to gently fold the mixture until combined. Spoon mixture into cake pan; smooth top. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until cake is a light golden-brown color & a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake. Place cake, in the pan, on a wire rack & let the cake cool completely before turning onto a serving platter. The cake may dip in the center as it cools. The cake can be kept at room temperature for a day or stored, covered in the fridge. Serve the cake cold or at room temperature.
- Just before serving, dust cake with icing sugar. Serve with dried orange slices, cream & sauce. Serves 6 to 8.
To make the Orange Butter Sauce:
- Combine juice & sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, let boil for 5 minutes to thicken a little. Whisk in butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly & waiting until butter has melted before adding another tablespoon. Serve sauce warm with the cake.
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