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Hi everyone,
Well, here is another recipe to share, Lemon Ricotta Cake.
Recently, Bob and I went to Eataly, NYC to shop and we fit in some time for pistachio gelato too (my favorite flavor).
For those of you who are not familiar with Eataly, it is a 50,000 square foot Italian Market in NYC that has just about everything you could possibly imagine. Fresh pasta, fresh bread, butcher shop, cafes, sit down restaurants and a cooking school. The list goes on and on. It is owned by celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich.
While I was there I spotted a jar of Amarena cherries which are basically the Italian version of a maraschino cherry. I don’t really know how to describe them. They are small but very sweet and intense and come in a sweet syrup that you can put in a cocktail or club soda.
When I was a child my grandmother would serve these cherries over ice cream or she would make the most heavenly cookies with them. The cookies were a combination of the cherries mixed with cocoa powder covered in a sugar glaze. (Unfortunately, I don’t have the recipe for the cookies).
The cherries come in a beautiful blue and white jar ceramic jar. As soon as I saw the jar, I had a memory of grandma and I just had to buy them.
When I got home, I tried to find an Amarena cookie recipe like grandmas, but I wasn’t lucky enough to find one.
However, I did come across this recipe for Lemon Ricotta Cake from one of my favorite Italian chefs, Deborah Mele, of Italian Food Forever and thought this lemon ricotta cake would be perfect to go along with the cherries.
You know that I am not the baker, but this recipe was no fuss and easy to put together and it was lemon, another favorite flavor of mine. So I started to bake.
Bob and I loved the cake and the cherries were just perfect. I put the photo on DishingwithDiane instagram and immediately received requests for the recipe, so here it is.
It doesn’t have to be topped with Amarena cherries, whipped cream or strawberries; even plain, the cake is delicious.
Try it and enjoy.
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LEMON RICOTTA CAKE
A simple lemon flavored cake that includes ricotta cheese, keeping the cake ver moist.
ingredients:
- 3/4 Cup Softened Butter
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- Zest From 3 Large Lemons
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Extract
- 3 Large Eggs, Separated
- 1 Cup Full Fat Ricotta Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Plus 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- Dash of Salt
To Serve:
- Fresh Strawberries or in this case, Amarena cherries
directions:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Lightly grease and flour a 7 or 8 inch spring-form pan.
- Beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest, extract, egg yolks and ricotta cheese and beat until smooth.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, and beat into the butter mixture just until combined.
- Wash your beaters well, and then beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter then spoon the batter into your prepared tin.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a cake tester stuck into the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!
Stay well,
Diane
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Dishing With Diane 
Can’t wait to try the Lemon Ricotta Cake!
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I guarantee you will love it. Let me know what you think…Diane
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Looks yummy
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thank you
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Scrumptious! Can I order a slice, or two? 😀
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I wish I could send you a slice. The best I can do for know is offer you the recipe. I hope you give it a try. Stay well, Diane
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Thank you very much, sure to give it a try!
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