{La Torta Ricotta e Pere di Sal De Riso} Amalfi Pear Ricotta Hazelnut Cake

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The recipe combines a light hazelnut cake with fresh ricotta and pears for a combination we’re very much into!

I’ve found it’s super adaptable—I like it frozen rather than refrigerated, and I switch the fruit (from pears to berries) based on the season. Like me, I hope this {La Torta Ricotta e Pere di Sal De Riso} Amalfi Pear Ricotta Hazelnut Cake recipe takes you to the Amalfi Coast.

Recipe Ingredients

These are the ingredients that you’ll need to make this recipe:

For The Hazelnut Sponge Cake Batter:

• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Whole hazelnuts 
• All-purpose flour
• Unsalted butter

For The Pear Filling:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Forelle or Seckel pears 
• Vanilla bean 
• Lemon juice
• Pear Williams brandy or Spiced Pear Brandy
• Cornstarch
• Whole milk ricotta cheese
• Granulated sugar
• Chilled heavy cream

For Garnish:

• Powdered sugar

How To Make This Recipe

These are the instructions that you’ll need to follow to make this recipe:

1. For The Hazelnut Sponge Cake Batter: Heat an oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat a 7-inch cake pan with butter, line with a circle of parchment paper, top with more butter, dust with flour then tap out any excess flour.
   Combine the sugar and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until the mixture becomes very pale and fluffy and triples in size. Fold in the hazelnut meal, flour, and butter until just incorporated.
   Pour the mixture on the prepared cake pan and bake until browned and springy on top. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
2. For The Pear Ricotta Filling: Meanwhile, drizzle a few spoonfuls of olive oil in a small frying pan and warm over medium heat. Add the diced pear, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and liqueur, if using. Stir occasionally until the pears begin to cook and release liquid and soften. Stir in the cornstarch and continue cooking for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool completely.
   Whip the ricotta and remaining of the granulated sugar together until very smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream and then the cooled pears, along with some of their syrup. Save a couple of tablespoons of the syrup to drizzle on the top and bottom layers of cake.
3. Assemble The Cake: Line the same cake pan you used to bake the cake with parchment paper. Slice the hazelnut sponge horizontally so you have two discs.
   Place the bottom half in the cake pan, cut side up. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of pear syrup evenly over the cake then spoon over the ricotta mixture and smooth over with a spatula. Drizzle the rest of the reserved pear syrup over the cut side of the top layer of sponge and carefully place it on top of the ricotta filling, cut side down.
   You can chill the cake for several hours in the fridge but I prefer to freeze it so that it’s almost like an ice cream cake. Remove the cake from the pan, dust with powdered sugar, then cut carefully into slices with a sharp knife and serve.

Now, go stock up on all your cooking essentials, head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!