Gooey Apple Ricotta Cake

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Gooey Apple Ricotta Cake

This Apple Ricotta Cake is gooey, crumbly, tender and incredibly moist. It’s perfect for any time you want a sweet simple cake to share with people you love during the autumn season.

Total time: 1 hour 20 mins

Serves 10 – 12

Ingredients

  • Zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1 1/2 cups raw sugar – 1 ½ cup, plus about ½ tbsp to sprinkle on top before baking
  • 230g Pink Lady Apples, cut in thick pieces of about 2.5cm  – about 2 ½ cups
  • Juice of half a lemon 
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder 
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt 
  • 115g unsalted butter, barely softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract, optional
  • 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil 
  • 3/4 cup sliced almonds, for the top before baking
  • Icing sugar, to dust after baked

        Method

        1. Mix lemon zest with the 1 ½ cup sugar. Set aside.
        2. Drizzle apple pieces with the tablespoon of lemon juice and place then in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
        3. Preheat oven at 180°. Grease with plenty of butter a 22cm springform or regular cake pan or line it with baking paper.
        4. In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder and the salt with a hand whisk, then put through a sieve.
        5. Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the butter on the slowest speed for about 30 seconds to cream it a little. Add the lemon zest-sugar mixture for about a minute, until you get a grainy paste. Add the eggs, one at a time and mixing in between. Add vanilla, almond extract (if using), ricotta and oil and mix until combined.
        6. Slowly add the dry mixture, gently mixing until combined. As soon as the last addition is mostly incorporated stop the mixer. Add the frozen apple pieces and fold them into the batter. Scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure everything is incorporated well.
        7. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Sprinkle extra sugar and sliced almonds on top.
        8. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, covering the cake with aluminum foil the last 10 minutes of baking to prevent the top from burning. Insert a skewer through the center of the cake to check for doneness. Remember this cake is gooey so skewer may come a bit sticky and humid. If it’s not runny it’s ready. This texture of the cake never look super set inside.
        9. Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely before removing from the pan, (about an hour). Dust some icing sugar on top. Serve with whipped cream.

        The texture of this cake reaches its peak if you place it in the fridge after cooled down for an hour or two and then let it come down to room temperature.

        Store in a cool, dry area the first day then wrap in cling wrap and store in the fridge, it will last about a week.