Orange, Almond & Ricotta Cake
A gluten-free cake, citrusy and smooth, found originally on Smitten Kitchen. Use any kind of orange (Valencia, blood, mandarin) and either apricot jam or any citrus marmalade for a final, shiny, flavourful finish. Ricotta gives it the cheesecake texture, but it's not as rich or heavy. Serve this for dessert, but it does well on a brunch table, too. Slice the leftovers and keep them in the freezer for a pleasant treat, whenever you need one.
Want a few other citrus cakes? Try Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake, Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake or other yummy desserts.
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
3 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar
2 oranges of your choice
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (165 grams) ricotta
1/3 cup (45 grams) cornmeal
1 cup (135 grams) firm-packed almond flour or meal
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup apple, quince or apricot jam (optional, for glossy finish)
Method
Heat an oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Stir the brown sugar and water together so they form a thick slurry. Pour the slurry into a prepared cake pan and spread thin. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until they hold thick peaks. Set aside.
Place the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Finely zest both oranges over it.
Cut both zested oranges in half. Cut one of the halves into paper-thin slices and arrange slices over brown sugar base in the cake pan.
Juice the leftover three halves until you have about 1/3 cup juice and set juice aside.
Add the butter to the zest and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer (you can use same beaters you just did for egg whites) until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add the juice and ricotta; mix until smooth.
Sprinkle salt over the batter, then add almond flour and cornmeal and mix until just combined. Gently fold in egg whites.
Scoop the batter in large dollops over the prepared cake pan base. Gently spread the batter flat, trying not to disturb the orange slices underneath. Bake in a heated oven for 45 to 55 minutes. Check with a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and then for 5 more minutes. The final cake is so moist, the extra baking time is beneficial.
Cool the cake in a pan on a rack for 5 minutes, and then run a knife around the side and invert onto a cake plate. If any orange slices don’t come out easily, just gently arrange them on the top of the cake.
If desired, heat the jam until it's loose and brush it over cake top for a glossier finish. Let cool and cut into slices.
If desired, serve with an extra dollop of ricotta, creme fraiche or barely sweetened whipped cream. The cake keeps at room temperature, but is fine served from the fridge. The cake freezes well.
A gluten-free cake, citrusy and smooth, found originally on Smitten Kitchen. Use any kind of orange (Valencia, blood, mandarin) and either apricot jam or any citrus marmalade for a final, shiny, flavourful finish. Ricotta gives it the cheesecake texture, but it's not as rich or heavy. Serve this for dessert, but it does well on a brunch table, too. Slice the leftovers and keep them in the freezer for a pleasant treat, whenever you need one.
Want a few other citrus cakes? Try Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake, Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake or other yummy desserts.
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
3 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated sugar
2 oranges of your choice
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (165 grams) ricotta
1/3 cup (45 grams) cornmeal
1 cup (135 grams) firm-packed almond flour or meal
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup apple, quince or apricot jam (optional, for glossy finish)
Method
Heat an oven to 300 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Stir the brown sugar and water together so they form a thick slurry. Pour the slurry into a prepared cake pan and spread thin. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until they hold thick peaks. Set aside.
Place the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Finely zest both oranges over it.
Cut both zested oranges in half. Cut one of the halves into paper-thin slices and arrange slices over brown sugar base in the cake pan.
Juice the leftover three halves until you have about 1/3 cup juice and set juice aside.
Add the butter to the zest and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer (you can use same beaters you just did for egg whites) until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add the juice and ricotta; mix until smooth.
Sprinkle salt over the batter, then add almond flour and cornmeal and mix until just combined. Gently fold in egg whites.
Scoop the batter in large dollops over the prepared cake pan base. Gently spread the batter flat, trying not to disturb the orange slices underneath. Bake in a heated oven for 45 to 55 minutes. Check with a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and then for 5 more minutes. The final cake is so moist, the extra baking time is beneficial.
Cool the cake in a pan on a rack for 5 minutes, and then run a knife around the side and invert onto a cake plate. If any orange slices don’t come out easily, just gently arrange them on the top of the cake.
If desired, heat the jam until it's loose and brush it over cake top for a glossier finish. Let cool and cut into slices.
If desired, serve with an extra dollop of ricotta, creme fraiche or barely sweetened whipped cream. The cake keeps at room temperature, but is fine served from the fridge. The cake freezes well.