Harriet by Hand’s Lemon, Almond and Ricotta Cake

Somewhere between a cheesecake and an almond cake, this lemon, almond and ricotta cake has a fluffy crumb and is so so moist.

You can make this cake dairy free by substituting firm silken tofu for the ricotta. 0.5 cups of honey will yield a cake that is slightly sweet — if you prefer more sweetness, use the full 0.75 cups.

250 g ricotta
5 eggs, separated
150 g/1.5 cups ground almonds
0.5-0.75 cup honey (to taste)
big pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lemon
extra lemon slices & blanched almonds, to garnish
other serving ideas: a dollop of cream/ice cream/berry compote

Preheat oven to 175ºC. Line with paper, and grease a 23cm springform circle pan.

In a blender or with a whisk, combine ricotta, ground almonds, egg yolks, honey, salt, vanilla, zest and juice. Mix until smooth and fully combined.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff. Gently fold stiff egg whites into ricotta mixture, then gently pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until top is golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Garnish with lemon slices and blanched almonds if desired, and enjoy. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Harriet loves cake, caffeinated beverages, sloths, and top knots. An ex-Brisbanite, Harriet now lives in Oxford, United Kingdom, where she works in academic publishing during the week, and teaches yoga on the weekend. She blogs at www.harrietbyhand.com and you can find her on Instagram @harrietbyhand 

Harriet’s headshot is by Trudi le Brese