Yes you can! You can eat dessert without too much guilt. This light, lemony cake is packed with nutrition and can be easily made gluten-free or not.
|
Rate this recipe!
|
Print Recipe
|
This recipe has been added to your Meal Plan
|
| Prep Time | |
| 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 35-40 minutes | 10 minutes |
|
|
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large lemon or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 large eggs
- 2-1/4 cups almond meal (fine ground, from blanched almonds)
- 1/4 cup flour gluten-free, white, or whole wheat
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 350 °F. Spray or rub oil into an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- Melt butter and sugar together in a large saucepan, stirring to dissolve most of the sugar. Remove from heat to cool.
- While butter melts, combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir.
- Grate the yellow layer of the lemon peel (zest*) using the small or medium holes to yield about 1 tablespoon. Cut zested lemon in half, and squeeze the juice to yield 3 tablespoons juice. (Alternatively use 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice and no zest.)
- Stir lemon juice, lemon zest, and ricotta into the butter mixture with a whisk (or kitchen spoon) until mostly smooth.
- Separate* one egg, then add the yolk and other eggs to batter, blending in after each one. (Save the white to add to scrambled eggs the next day.)
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir until blended, but don’t overmix. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until done. Test with a toothpick by inserting into the center. It should come out clean, with just a few crumbs attached. Alternatively, press down in the center. It should spring back, leaving no indentation.
- Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting, then serve plain or with fresh berries and whipped cream.
*Technique: To separate eggs, gently crack the egg and open slightly over a bowl, allowing the white to drop into it as you transfer the yolk from one half of the shell to the other several times. Place the remaining yolk in a separate bowl (or directly into the batter in this instance). When a recipe calls for more than 1 egg white (for whipping), use three bowls. Always separate the white of each egg into an empty bowl then add that egg white to the other whites, as long as no yolk has accidentally gone into it. If a yolk breaks and drips even a little into the white, transfer that egg to another dish to use in scrambled eggs. When making meringue, a little yolk can ruin it.
*Terminology: Zest – the colored part of a citrus fruit peel. Also used as a verb meaning to grate off the zest. Avoid zesting the white pith under the colored part, as it can be bitter. Examples: lemons, limes, and oranges. (Grapefruit zest is not normally used.)
VARIATION:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cake – Add 2 tablespoons poppy seeds to batter.
- Use an electric mixer– If you have an electric mixer, take butter out of the refrigerator just long enough to soften a little, but remain cool. Beat butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until fluffy, then beat in remaining wet ingredients. Stir in dry ingredients. (Cakes rise better when the butter and sugar have been creamed).
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.