Hazelnut Ricotta Cake with Apricot Glaze

 

Not that it's valentines, but my husband has been wanting something cake like, with a ricotta as an ingredient. Ever since the Lemon Ricotta Cake, anything with ricotta is a pleaser for Him! So my the next recipe lies in the below creation. Another creamy textured nutty flavored cake! Anyway for all those out there Happy Valentines Day!!!

Ingredients:

Whole dry-roasted hazelnuts - 1cup (250 mL)

Sugar - 2⁄3cup (160 mL)

Vegetable Oil - 1⁄3cup (80 mL)

Ricotta Cheese - 1/2cup (125 mL)

Eggs - 2

Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp (5 mL)

Finely Grated Lemon or Orange Zest - 2 tsp

All Purpose Flour - 3/4 cup (180mL)

Baking Powder - 1tsp (5 mL)

Salt - 1/4tsp (1 mL)

For the glaze:

Apricot Jam – 4 tablespoons

Water – 1 teaspoon

Grated Bitter Unsweetened Chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350°f (175°c) and grease an 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan.  Using a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts and sugar until the hazelnuts are finely ground.  Add the oil, ricotta, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, and pulse to blend.  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and pulse just until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

To make the glaze, place the jam with the water in a small pan over a gentle heat to dilute until you get a smooth, fairly runny consistency. Brush over the top of the cake and sprinkle with the grated chocolate.

Lemon Ricotta Cake for the New Year!!

It's a brand new year, and I'm already excited at knowing what's in store for the coming months. I say, the last week of December until January 2 is indeed a tight schedule for us - Church, celebrations, husband's birthday, new year's, and then our wedding anniversary. The lemon ricotta recipe is from my dear friend Lesa, I decided to use her recipe for distributing cakes to our all and near and dear. I trusted Lesa's verdict which in her words were "It's YUM". My verdict: "It's YUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY" and it's the same verdict right from neighbors, to friends, to office friends, colleagues and family. I only made 7 of these to please everyone..got some more people on the list that are yet to be pleased........which means more baking......
This is also my second entry to Suma Rowajee's event. I'm sending this to Champa too for her bake off

Ingredients:
Caster sugar - 175gms
Butter - 175gms , plus extra for greasing
Zest of 4 unwaxed lemons
Eggs - 3, separated
Ricotta cheese - 250gms
Self-raising flour - 125gms , plus extra for dusting
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Icing sugar, to dust
To serve
Blackberries
Clotted cream

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease a 18cm cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy - you can do this in an electric mixer or in a bowl using a wooden spoon. Beat in the lemon zest, add the egg yolks and ricotta and beat in until well combined.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Fold these into the main mixture and stir in the flour and baking powder.Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 35 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown in colour. Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre – if the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked.Cool the cake on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. Serve with fresh blackberries and clotted cream