Name: orange, ricotta & almond cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 435 min
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); 2/3 cup orange juice (180ml); 1/3 cup sugar (66g); 1/3 cup butter (76g)

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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

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4.25 from 12 votes

orange, ricotta & almond cake

This is a very moist cake that relies on air beaten into the butter mixture & the egg white mixture to help it rise. I’ve given a sauce recipe to serve with the cake but this is optional. The sauce is delicious but the cake is equally as good served with some clotted or whipped cream, even just a little drizzle of heavy pouring cream is good. Make it a day ahead of serving & serve the cake at room temperature & the sauce warmed.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time55 mins

cooling6 hrs

Total Time7 hrs 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Servings:

Author: Lovoni Walker

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.