Ricotta and Apple Hazelnut cake

Posted by sweettreatsbythesea on

This week we had three people with birthdays in one week. This cake was really tasty and possibly would have tasted even better slightly warm. If served warm, it would make a lovely dessert.

The recipe is from Ostra by Julia Busuttil Nishimra. This is the third cake I have made from this book and all have been excellent. I have already posted the lemon Olive Oil cake and will post the Nice Plum Cake soon.

Ingredients

120 g unsalted butter softened

2 eggs

200 g caster sugar

125 ml full cream milk

225 g SR flour, sifted

80 g hazelnut meal

Ricotta Filling

250 g fresh full fat ricotta

2 egg yolks

1½ tbls caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Apple Filling

2 small Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced

juice of ½ lemon

1½ tbls caster sugar

Hazelnut Topping

1 tbls unsalted butter, softened

1 tbls caster sugar

80 g hazelnuts, chopped

  1. Preheat oven to 170°C (less for a fan forced oven). Brush a deep round 22 cm spring-form or loose bottomed cake pan with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl, use electric beaters to beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Add the milk and mix well (the mixture may look lumpy).
  5. Add the sifted flour and hazelnut meal and stir gently until just combined.
  6. For the ricotta and apple fillings, combine the ingredients for each in separate bowls.
  7. Spread ¾ of the cake mixture into the prepared cake pan and then spread the ricotta filling over the cake mixture almost to the edges, followed by apple drained of any excess juice. Finally cover the apple with the remaining cake mixture.
  8. Mix the butter sugar and chopped hazelnuts together and scatter over the top of the cake mixture.
  9. Bake for around 45-60 minutes or until the cake is golden and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  10. Remove from the oven and leave in pan for 15 minutes before turning out to serve warm or allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.
  11. Once cake is cooled completely, if not eating directly, keep cake in fridge, removing 2 hours before serving, to come to room temperature.

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