Apricot and Ricotta Cake

The apricot and ricotta cake is a scrumptious dessert that combines the sweetness of apricots with the freshness of ricotta. Here is the recipe for making this delightful treat:

Ingredients

• 250 g of fresh ricotta
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 200 g of fresh apricots
• 1 lemon (grated zest)
• 100 g of all-purpose flour
• 50 g of melted butter
• 1 packet of baking powder
• A pinch of salt
• Icing sugar for decoration

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and grease and flour a cake tin of about 22 cm in diameter.
2. In a bowl, whisk the ricotta with the granulated sugar until you have a smooth cream.
3. Separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks to the ricotta and sugar cream, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Fold in the grated lemon zest into the ricotta mixture.
5. Sift the flour with the baking powder and gradually incorporate it into the ricotta mixture, mixing gently.
6. Add the cooled melted butter and a pinch of salt, stirring until the mixture is homogeneous.
7. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the mixture, stirring from the bottom up to not deflate them.
8. Wash the apricots, cut them in half and remove the pits.
9. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and arrange the apricot halves on the surface, pressing them down lightly.
10. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the surface of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
11. Let the cake cool slightly before removing it from the tin, then dust it with icing sugar before serving.

Trivia

Apricots are a typically summer ingredient, and their season runs from May to August. They are fruits that pair wonderfully with ricotta, creating light but flavorful desserts. Moreover, ricotta can easily be substituted with dairy variants such as buffalo ricotta for a creamier consistency or sheep’s milk ricotta for a more intense flavor.