This very moist nutty torte is similar to a mousse – it will rise during cooking and then sink but don’t worry!
Serves: 10; Prep: 25 mins; Cook: 30-35 mins; Cals per portion: 297
Ingredients:
5oz/150g caster sugar; 5oz/150g butter, softened; 5 eggs, separated; 5oz/150g ricotta cheese; grated rind and juice of 1 lemon; 6oz/175g hazelnuts, finely chopped and toasted; 1 1/2oz/40g plain flour; 5tbsp/75ml apricot jam; icing sugar for dusting; 9in/23cm cake tin.
- Preheat oven to Mark 5 /375oF / 190oC. Grease and line base and sides of tin. Cream together 4oz/125g sugar and the butter until soft. Stir in the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, beat together the cheese, lemon rind and juice and 5oz/150g of the hazelnuts. Stir into creamed mixture with the flour. Whisk egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat in remaining sugar. Using a large metal spoon, fold a quarter of the egg whites into the creamed mixture, then carefully fold in the remainder. Turn into tin and level the surface. Bake for 30-35 minutes until risen. Cool slightly then turn onto a plate.
- Heat the jam and 1 tbsp/15ml water, then brush the sides of the cakes and cover them with the remaining 1oz/25g of hazelnuts. Lay equal-sized strips of greaseproof paper on top of the cake, sieve icing sugar over the top and remove paper.
Visit my shop to download this and 9 other Dessert recipes in the Dessert Volume 1 book. A recipe card is also available for download here.