David and Luise are some of our favorites – their blog, Green Kitchen Stories, has gorgeous photography, their recipes are inspiring, and, as Stockholm natives, they make Scandinavia look like the best place on earth. But they also travel a lot and, like us here at Salt & Wind, they get inspired by the places they travel, like with this Torta di Ricotta e Polenta recipe.
Rich, sweet, moist and yet completely free from flour and refined sugar, this Italian lemon and almond cake is a great way to end a meal. It is technically a cheesecake, but has very little in common with the heavy American versions. In Italy, most delis have their own version of ricotta. The most delicious one is made from sheeps’ milk – try it in this recipe, if you can find it. We often prepare the cake a day in advance. It makes it even creamier and enhances the flavors.
Now, go stock up on all your cooking essentials, then head into the kitchen, make this, and share it with us by tagging @saltandwind and #swsociety on social!
Torta di Ricotta e Polenta Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 g (3 oz/ 1/2 scant cup) unsalted butter
- 150 ml (5 fl oz / 1/3 scant cup) honey (preferably unheated)
- Finely grated zest of 3 lemons
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs separated
- 140 g (5 oz/ 1 1/4 cups) almond meal
- (or 140g (5 oz/ 1 1/4 cups) blanched almonds blitzed into the flour
- 125 g (4 1/2 oz/ 1 cup) fine, organic GMO- free stoneground polenta (not instant)
- 250 g (9oz/ generous 1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 45 g (1 1/2 oz/ 1/2 cup) flaked slivered almonds
- powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare The Pan: Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas 3). Line the base of a 20 cm (8-in) springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make The Batter: Place the butter, half of the honey, the lemon zest and vanilla in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat everything until creamy. Add the egg yolks and continue to beat for a further minute. Add the almond flour, polenta and ricotta and fold everything together.
- Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until softly peaking in a separate bowl. Add the remaining honey and continue whisking until peaking again and well blended. Slowly fold the egg whites into the cake mixture.
- Bake The Cake: Turn the mixture into the prepared cake tin and sprinkle the flaked almonds evenly over the top. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. The centre of the cake might look slightly wobbly at first, but it will firm up when the cake cools down. Leave to cool completely before removing it from the tin. Top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and serve.
