I haven’t had a bite of this cake in 20 years. My grandmother made it often and I always relished every bite. The recipe went missing around the time her memory began to fade. A lot has happened in 20 years and perhaps that’s why I hadn’t thought of this dessert before. While rifling through recipe archives last weekend, I stumbled on this cake. I was looking for something stunning but that required minimal time and effort, since right now I have no time and barely any energy to exert great effort.
My nonna was in the same predicament. A modern woman ahead of her time, she drove when women didn’t, held a full-time job when women were mainly home with their children and owned a stovetop pressure cooker long before they became the InstaPot. She meal prepped every morning, prepared bag lunches for her children and husband and taught her boys how to add the roast to the pressure cooker or put the meal into the oven.
This recipe starts with a cake mix but don’t let that stop you. If you bring this to your next dinner party you’ll be able to pass this off as from scratch when really all it took was 2 bowls, an 8 inch cake pan and little effort. And that’s what being a rockstar home cook is all about. It’s about knowing when to make it from scratch, when to make it semi-homemade and when it’s time to call for takeout.
RECIPE NOTES:
- I added the zest of 1 medium sized blood orange [approx. 3/4 teaspoon to the cake mix], segmented the orange, brushed it with some warmed apricot jam [2 teaspoons warmed] and topped the baked cake for a showier effect. This isn't necessary though. The cake is terrific by itself.
- Can also be made into a 9x13 inch pan by doubling the recipe [use the whole cake mix].
7.62 ounces yellow cake mix (no pudding kind)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons egg white
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons swerve [or use all granulated sugar]
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven 350 degrees.
2. Line bottom 8 inch cake pan with parchment and grease.
3. Add yellow cake mix, egg, egg white, oil and water to a bowl. Beat for the directions on the back of cake mix box. [Mine said 2 minutes]. Pour into cake pan.
4. Mix ricotta, vanilla, sugar and swerve until well blended with a hand mixer.
5. Place by spoonfuls on top of batter as close together and evenly as possible.
6. Bake for 38-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. [Mine took 43 minutes]
7. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack. Cool. Refrigerate and serve cold. Keeps for 2-3 days covered in the refrigerator.
Comments
Post a Comment