Ricotta Cheese Cake

Ricotta cheese is such a classic ingredient that can be used in many dishes from desserts to pasta fillings. During festivals I normally tend to buy Ricotta cheese to make sweets. Had a big batch of Ricotta cheese remaining, wanted to try baking an eggless cake. Stumbled upon a cake recipe that used eggs. Experimented converting that recipe to eggless and added a few more ingredients to enhance the flavor. This cake turned out so perfect had to save my recipe. It has become a favorite now. The cake was very moist and soft. This pound cake has superb blend of flavors from vanilla, lemon zest and blueberries. The rose water added a great touch to the aroma.

Ingredients

all-purpose flour 1 3/4 cup
baking powder 2 tsp
salt 1/2 tsp
unsalted butter 1/2 cup
ricotta cheese 1 cup
sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tblsp
olive oil 1/4 cup
mashed banana 1/4 cup
vanilla essence 1 1/2 tsp
blueberries 1/2 cup
lemon zest 1/2 tsp (optional)
rose water 1/2 tsp (optional)

Note: use 3/4 cup sugar if using apple sauce or egg instead of mashed banana

Method

prep work
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
Prepare a 9×5-inch loaf pan, smearing the inside with butter.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Rinse the blueberries and toss them with a little flour to lightly coat them in order to prevent them from sinking at the bottom of the cake.

mixing ingredients
Beat together the butter, ricotta, and sugar, on high speed if using electric mixer (or could be done by hand) for 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the mashed banana mixing on medium speed for one minute.
Mix in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Batter could look curdled but that’s ok.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the dry ingredients lil by lil in 2 or 3 additions, until incorporated. Do not over mix.
Stir in the blueberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula.

baking & serving
Place on a baking sheet on the middle oven rack of the oven.
Bake for 60 – 70 mins, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
After the first 40 minutes of baking you could put a sheet of aluminum foil over the top of the pan to keep it from browning further.
Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes in the pan.
Run a dull knife thru the edges and gently remove the cake from the pan.
Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Ready to slice and serve.

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