Almond Ricotta Everyday Cake

I’m looking for bits of sunshine everywhere I go these days. I bought a big bag of lemons with zero ideas of what to use them for, scooping them up more for their happy yellow color than anything else. The same goes for the two bunches of tulips I also bought. The bright red, pink, orange and purple colors giving me a bit of cheer as January trudges along.

It’s feeling a little like the 45th of January with a sprinkle of Ground Hogs day thrown in. I will definitely celebrate February’s arrival in the coming days. As much as I love all things winter like snow and skiing and cozy nights by the fireplace; something about January just gets to me.

You know what helps though? Cake.

After earmarking a handful of ricotta cake recipes over the years, I decided this was the week to make one. I wish I hadn’t waited so long. This is the perfect sweet (but not overly indulgent) winter dessert. The brightness of the lemon balances perfectly with the subtle almond flavors. The ricotta makes this cake light and tender without being too rich or dense. The texture reminds me a little bit of a pound cake but more airy and crumbly.

The recipes I referenced called for slivered almonds across the top of the cake. I, personally, love the added texture and look of the almonds but my family is firmly against nuts in any and all baked goods, so I skipped that part. The recipe below references the slivered almonds but you decide if you want to add them or not.

To serve, I simply piled fresh raspberries on the cake and dusted the whole thing with powdered sugar. A dollop of fresh whipped cream or a little scoop of vanilla ice cream would be lovely as well.

Personally, a little slice of cake with a cup of hot coffee was just the thing to bring a little bright and happy into my week while I try and wait patiently for the sun to come out again.

Almond Ricotta Everyday Cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• Zest of 1 large lemon

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (optional)

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for garnish)

• 1 pint fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in a glass dish in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval until butter is just melted.

Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl and add the cup of sugar. Whisk to combine. Add the kosher salt, lemon zest, almond and vanilla extract, whisking vigorously to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition until well-combined.

Add the ricotta and continue to whisk until there are no lumps. This step is important for a light and fluffy texture, so stir, stir, stir until you have a smooth batter.

Add the almond meal, all-purpose flour and baking powder to the bowl and using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently mix until a batter forms.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan (you could also use a 9-inch springform pan if you prefer). Sprinkle the top with the slivered almonds if using and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean its ready.

Cool in the cake pan for at least 15 minutes before removing the pan from the cake and transferring to a plate or cooling rack to finish cooling.

Right before serving, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and top with fresh raspberries.Cut into slices and serve.