Light, melt-in-your-mouth and lemony – this cake will fast become one of your favourites
Ingredients:
- 120 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 275 grams (1 1/3 cups) caster sugar
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- zest and juice from 2 lemons
- 4 eggs (separated and at room temperature)
- 300 grams (10 1/2 oz) ricotta
- 240 grams (2 1/2 cups) almond meal, ground almonds or almond flour
Note: the almond meal can be replaced with coconut flour, or flour. However, your own version of almond flour can easily be made, almonds that are already sliced can make this process a little easier, but basically, you want to put the almonds in a food processor (or blender) and grind them until the flour is to your liking. Be careful to not let the nuts get oily, this can be avoided by doing a stop-start motion with the on and off switch.
- Heat oven to 160ºC. Line a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
- Beat softened butter, half of the sugar, vanilla seeds and lemon zest with an electrical mixer until pale and creamy, which should take about 5-10 minutes. Add egg yolks, one at time, and mix after each addition. Add almond meal and beat to combine. Fold in ricotta.
- Beat egg whites and the remaining sugar until stiff. Gently, fold them into the cake batter.
- Pour mixture into prepared cake tin and decorate with almond flakes if desired. Bake for 40-45 minutes (cover it with tinfoil after 25 minutes or so) until cooked. Let it cool for a couple of hours, or better yet, overnight!
