Chilled Pineapple Cake

17/11/2023

The chilled pineapple cake is a refreshing and simple to make dessert, perfect for summer days or to end a meal lightly. Here is the recipe, with a small Italian twist that you might enjoy.

Ingredients

200 g of dry biscuits (like Digestive)
100 g of melted butter
500 g of fresh ricotta
200 ml of whipping cream
80 g of icing sugar
1 packet of sheet gelatin (or agar agar, if you prefer a vegetarian option)
200 g of fresh or canned pineapple (and a few slices for decoration)
Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

Start by finely chopping the biscuits, then mix them with the melted butter. Spread this mixture in a springform pan creating a compact base and put it in the fridge to cool for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for about 10 minutes.
Whip the cream and set it aside.
In a bowl, work the ricotta with the icing sugar until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Add the lemon juice and continue to mix.
Squeeze the soaked gelatin and melt it in a double boiler or for a few seconds in the microwave (without boiling it). Add it to the ricotta cream, stirring quickly to avoid lumps.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture, using a spatula and movements from bottom to top to not deflate the mixture.
Cut the pineapple into small pieces (if it’s fresh, remember to remove the harder central part) and add them to the mixture.
Pour the filling over the biscuit base in your pan and level the surface with a spatula.
Put the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours, better if overnight, so that it sets well.
Before serving, decorate with pineapple slices for an additional aesthetic and freshness touch.

Curiosity

Despite its name, the chilled pineapple cake is not of Italian origin, but in many families it has become a tradition to prepare it especially in the summer for its freshness and ease of preparation. The Italian variation proposed here is the use of ricotta instead of creamier cheeses like Philadelphia, which is common in many international recipes, to give a lighter touch and a distinctive flavor.