CK's Kitchen: Italian lemon ricotta cake is full of flavor

Fifty years into this wonderful life, and I think it's finally time to take an ancestry test. I need DNA/heritage data to fully explain and possibly support decades of contradictory tastes. I don't like cheese — like really, really don't like cheese — unless it's baked into an Italian-inspired meal or dessert. Think Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta or cream cheese. This aversion has evolved as I entered adulthood and baffled me and people close to me. My full-bloodied Irish mother, who passed away in 2007, would not recognize some of the food and desserts that I make in my home kitchen today. And with that, I give you this glorious Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake. Memorial dessert Like many traditional Italian desserts, this dessert has a cheese base (like ricotta or mascarpone) and incorporates fruit or citrus flavors — this case the lovely lemon. At 217 calories a slice, I was drawn to this dessert over others in the running, including a 600-some calorie per portion Key Lime Pound Cake. I couldn't in good conscience make that dessert on a day that involved laying out between painting my deck and planting flowers with my best friend. In fact, I thought this light cake would be the perfect complement to our surf-and-turf dinner planned for the grill: teriyaki salmon and steak with some balsamic-garlic mushrooms and bean salad. Il dolce Since I made this on a very warm Memorial Day, there was no trouble bringing the butter to room temperature. I loved that the recipe called for the entire small tub of ricotta. The beauty of this cake is that it all mixes up in one bowl, not counting the bowls for zesting and juicing the lemon (I used two small), and individually cracking the eggs. I enjoyed prepping the springform pan with butter, using my pans, and sprinkling in a healthy amount of powdered sugar. If you don't have a springform pan, you can easily make this cake in a Bundt pan or a tall 9-inch cake pan lined with parchment. My cake baked for the full 55 minutes for the toothpick to come out clean and for the edges to have a nice golden brown. My house smelled amazing as it baked but the real reward was the first bite: light, fluffy and full of delicious flavor! My friend and I just devoured our generous slices, which we enjoyed with some fresh berries. It was divine! Make this dessert ASAP! Contact Chrissy Kadleck at ckadleck@sbcglobal.net. Italian lemon ricotta cake ¾ cup butter, softened 1 ½ sticks 1 ½ cups sugar 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 large lemon, zested and juiced ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ cups flour Powdered sugar for dusting top of cake (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan using butter and powdered sugar; set aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl or stand-up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add in the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes. 3. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix to combine. In the same bowl, stir in the baking soda and salt. Lastly, add in the flour and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate all of the ingredients. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. 5. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing the collar and base of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and dust with powdered sugar before serving. Note: Store covered at room temperature for three days. To keep it fresh even longer, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes 12 servings Source: thisitaliankitchen.com