Berry Ricotta Cake | gluten free

Sweet, damp gluten free ricotta cake filled with fresh summer berries – you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating more than one slice!Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.I tortured you all with photos of this on Instagram this weekend, but don’t worry I tortured myself by only having one slice before I relegated it to the freezer for weekend breakfast outings with my Mum and sister. I had to get it off my counter top you see because this cake is absolutely moreish! We’ve spoken about the ‘sliver by sliver’ issue before – my tried and true method for whether a cake is amazing enough to share with you all. Using my extremely scientific method I have deduced that you need to make this cake.Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.Ricotta is the star ingredient in this cake. It renders the crumb so damp and soft that you think you are eating clouds. (Side note: how lovely is the word damp? I kind of love the way it rolls off my tongue, especially when I’m talking about cake. And it makes me feel a little like the goddess, Nigella.) The dampness is also helped along by using oil rather than butter. This ricotta and berry cake is also creamy with almond meal and a touch of almond essence. Soft, sweet, almond cake is the perfect foil for fresh, slightly tart berries.

A single-layer cake is a thing of beauty when each simple ingredient works together to create a symphony. I love an over-the-top layer cake, but the humble perfection of well-rendered ‘everyday cake’ is not to be overestimated. This gluten free everyday cake comes together so easily but the rewards are rich indeed. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.This light cake is perfect for a summer’s day, or even a slightly naughty breakfast treat. But if it’s winter where you live, or fresh berries are far too expensive (I feel your pain), you can just as easily make this gluten free cake with frozen berries too. Bring a little sunshine inside as the days grow grey. I’m sending you some of our brilliant blue sky in the form of this cake! If you want to keep it seasonal, some cubed apples or pears would partner perfectly with the ricotta cake batter too.

Whatever the season, whatever the occasion, you can’t go wrong with a slice of this soft-crumbed, humble, but beautiful Berry Ricotta Cake. Image may be NSFW.
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Berry Ricotta Cake

Gluten Free | Makes 1 9-inch round cake | Leftovers will keep well-wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze slices for up to two months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before eating.

Tip: If you are using frozen berries do not defrost them before adding them to this cake. Add them frozen and they will bake up nicely in the oven.

Ingredients

• 60 grams almond meal
• 60 grams white rice flour + 1 tablespoon extra
• 50 grams sorghum flour
• 40 grams brown rice flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 150 grams (3/4 cup) white sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 375 grams fresh, low fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup rice bran oil (or other flavourless vegetable oil)
• 1 cup fresh/frozen* raspberries
• 1 cup fresh/frozen* blueberries

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (375F) and line a 9-inch round springform cake tin with baking paper. Oil the sides with cooking spray or butter. Set aside until required.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the almond meal, white rice flour, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make sure everything is very well whisked and that there are no lumps.
3. In a separate, smaller, bowl whisk together the eggs, ricotta, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract and oil until smooth.
4. Add ricotta mix to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
5. Place berries into a small bowl and add the reserved 1 tablespoon of rice flour. Toss gently to coat the berries and then place in a sifter to remove the excess flour.
6. Add three-quarters of the raspberries and blueberries and fold them very gently into the batter.
7. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and gently smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining berries over the top of the cake.
8. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes or until it bounces back when gently pressed. If your cake is browning too quickly on top you can cover it lightly with aluminium foil and continue with the baking.
9. Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before running a knife around the diameter of the cake and then releasing the springform tin. Place cake on a wire rack and cool before serving.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.