Lemon Ricotta Cake and Pistachio Frosting

This decadent lemon ricotta cake is made extra special with a toasted pistachio frosting.

This Lemon Ricotta Cake with Toasted Pistachio Frosting was my entry for this year’s Lancewood CakeOff contest. The recipe for the Lemon Ricotta Cake has been posted on the blog before and it is truly a delicious gluten free cake and has been a very popular recipe since it first appeared.

But I wanted to make it even more special and decided to make a toasted pistachio frosting. It is rich and decadent but I belong to the school of thought that when it comes to cake you either go big or eat a salad. But in saying that, I realized afterwards that making it as a double layer cake is just too much so the recipe below is for a one layer cake with frosting and not the two layers you see in the images. Friends of mine who tasted the two layer extravaganza disagreed completely so if you want to go big, double the recipe for both the batter and frosting.

With all the richness coming from the nuts and icing sugar in the frosting you need to use the most fragrant lemons you can find so I would suggest finding some organic ones at the market. Somehow lemon zest from supermarket lemons don’t seem to be that sharp anymore.

The frosting has rich undertones of caramel and that comes from one of my favourite finds of the year. Natura Sugar’s Demerara Icing Sugar. This natural sugar is unrefined and has not had the molasses taken out and the slightly off white colour adds to the beautiful sandy golden brown colour of the frosting that is so fitting for the pistachios.

Click here for the frosting recipe.

Lemon Ricotta Cake and Pistachio Frosting

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5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Hein van Tonder
• Total Time: 65 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

A bright citrus cake with almond meal and ricotta. Topped with a luscious pistachio frosting (recipe not included).

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 oz (113 g) butter
• 7 oz (200 g) caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) lemon zest
• 4 eggs
• 8 oz (227 g) almond meal
• 11 oz (300 g) ricotta
• Salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 356°F (180°C). Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place 100g of castor sugar and the lemon zest in a food processor and blitz until finely ground.
3. Beat the butter, vanilla, and sugar/zest mixture together for about 10 minutes until pale and creamy.
4. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating the mixture well after each addition.
5. Add the almond meal and beat to combine. Fold in the ricotta.
6. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form.
7. Gradually add the remaining sugar to the egg whites and whisk until stiff peaks have formed.
8. Mix a third of the egg whites into the cake mixture, then gently fold in the rest of the egg white mixture.
9. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 356°F (180°C), until cooked and firm to the touch.
11. Allow to cool completely in the cake tin before removing.
12. Frosting

Notes

• For a more intense lemon flavor, use Meyer lemons or add an extra tablespoon of lemon zest.
• If you don’t have almond meal, you can substitute an equal amount of finely ground blanched almonds.
• To prevent the cake from drying out, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 25
• Sodium: 50
• Fat: 20
• Saturated Fat: 12
• Unsaturated Fat: 6
• Carbohydrates: 40
• Fiber: 3
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 100

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