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hazelnut chocolate ricotta torta

31 Aug 2020



When I made the blueberry hazelnut ricotta cake last month I noted it was originally made with a chocolate topping the cake rather than blueberries. As hazelnut and chocolate is a match made in heaven I went on the hunt for a cake recipe that also included ricotta.



I found a hazelnut chocolate ricotta torta recipe from the River Cafe which ticked all the boxes. I changed the proportions to fit my tin and set to work.



The flavours and technique are quite similar to my Mum's almond cake, so I was keen to try the finished product. As the cake contains such a small amount of flour I decided to make the torta gluten free by using a GF flour mix. As I made this to bring to a work birthday morning tea, to make it look more celebratory I topped the cake with chocolate ganache and some extra toasted hazelnuts. None of these additional steps are necessary.



Here's the recipe for you which makes a 17 cm cake. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60 g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20ºC.



Hazelnut chocolate ricotta torta - inspired by a recipe from The River Cafe
Ingredients
100g skinned hazelnuts
85g unsalted butter, softened plus extra to grease
100g caster sugar
100g ricotta
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
3 eggs, separated
70g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), grated
25g plain flour, sifted
a pinch of salt

Ganache
60mls cream
60g dark chocolate, finely chopped

To decorate
Extra roasted halved hazelnuts

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 17cm spring-form tin that is at least 5cm deep, and line the base with baking paper.

Spread the hazelnuts out in a small baking tin and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes until lightly golden. Coarsely chop the nuts in a food processor until they resemble rubble. Don’t blend them too far, you want them as quite identifiable chunks.

Beat the butter and sugar together with the ricotta, vanilla and the lemon zest until pale and light. Add the egg yolks, one by one, beating well. In a separate bowl, combine the chopped nuts, the grated chocolate and the flour. Fold the nut mixture into the ricotta mixture.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt in a clean dry bowl until they form soft peaks. Fold in the whisked egg whites, starting with one spoonful to loosen the mixture, then add the remainder, being careful not to over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until set. Place on a cooling rack and run a knife around the outside of the cake to loosen. Allow to cool completely before removing from the tin and discarding the paper. If desired, top with chocolate ganache before serving.



Ganache
In a small saucepan, heat the cream to boiling point. Place the chopped chocolate in a small bowl, then pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a few moments until the chocolate starts to melt. Stir the chocolate until its smooth then put ganache to one side to thicken a little. Reattach the spring-form ring to the base and pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake.  Gently smooth with a spatula then gently tap the cake to level the topping. Decorate with the halved hazelnuts. Allow the topping to completely set then run a knife around the cake before unmoulding.


The torta keeps for up to 2 days. Store covered in a cool place, or freeze for up to one month.



Despite it's appearance, the cake is deceptively light and tastes very grown up. t's definitely a keeper.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian




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raspberry cheesecake crumble bars

24 Aug 2020



Instagram has been awash with images from Edd Kimber's new book, One Tin Bakes, in particular his raspberry cheesecake streusal bars. I decided to make my own version using my apple cheesecake recipe swapping raspberries for the apples and instead of the usual flaked almonds I topped the bars with an oaty crumble.



I normally bake with frozen raspberries as fresh raspberries are always so expensive. When I looked through the freezer section at the supermarkets there were no frozen raspberries to be found. I guess their supply has been affected by COVID-19.




They did have packets of mixed berries though so I bought a pack then carefully separated out all the frozen raspberries.



I made both the base and filling in the food processor so there was minimal washing up.



Here's the recipe for you which makes 16 squares or 18 bars. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60 g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20ºC.



Raspberry cheesecake crumble bars
Base
175 g unsalted butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1½ cup plain flour, sifted
Pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Crumble
1 tbs raw sugar
4 tbsp rolled oats

Filling
150g raspberries
1 tbs caster sugar
1 x 250 gram packet of cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tbs yoghurt or cream

Method
Grease and line an 8 inch square tin with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F.

In a food processor, process all the ingredients for the base until a soft dough forms around the blades. Take out ⅔ of the dough and press the mixture into the base of the prepared tin. Add the raw sugar and oats to the remaining dough and place in the fridge. This will form the crumble topping.

Place the raspberries and sugar in a small bowl. Set to one side while you make the cheesecake filling. Wipe out the food processor then combine the filling ingredients in the food processor and whiz until smooth. Pour over the prepared base, then dot with the sugared raspberries and strew over the crumble mix.

Return to the oven and bake the cake for 45 minutes or until the filling is just set and the crumble golden. If the crumble is still a little pale, increase the temperature to 200ºC and bake for a further 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge to firm up.

Cut into squares or bars before serving and allow to come to room temperature as these are best served at room temperature.



These were delicious and were a real hit at work. 

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian
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blueberry hazelnut ricotta cake

17 Aug 2020



I've been enjoying the cookalong instagram posts from Honey and Co, 2 married chefs who are based in London. While hunting down some of their recipes I spied this recipe for a blueberry hazelnut ricotta cake. 




I love anything ricotta and as blueberries are plentiful at the moment it was an easy decision to try out the recipe. I bought a punnet of blueberries at the fruit shop and set to work.



There is very little flour in the recipe so I decided to make the cake gluten free.



Here's the recipe for you which I adapted from 'Honey and Co' by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60 g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20ºC. 



Blueberry hazelnut ricotta cake - makes a 20 cm round cake.
Ingredients
85 grams unsalted butter
85 grams caster sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
2 eggs
17 gms GF plain flour
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp ground ginger
100 grams toasted ground hazelnuts
170 grams ricotta cheese
1 punnet (125g) blueberries 
70 grams hazelnuts, skins removed roughly chopped
1 tbs raw sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of a 20 cm cake tin with baking paper.

Cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure each is well combined before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour, salt, ground ginger and ground hazelnuts and mix until fully incorporated. Fold the ricotta and half the blueberries into the batter and spoon into the prepared tin. Top with the remaining blueberries and the roughly chopped hazelnuts, and sprinkle with the raw sugar.

Bake for about 55–65 minutes or until the cake has set, the blueberries have exploded a little and oozed blue syrup, and the hazelnuts are golden.

Allow to cool in the tin. Once cooled, place in the fridge to help it set so that you can transfer it to a serving platter.



The cake keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days, but it’s best to bring it up to room temperature before eating so that you can enjoy all the flavours to the full.



This went down well at work but next time I'd use a combination of almond meal and hazelnut meal to tame the hazelnut flavour a little. This cake set the wheels in motion and there is another hazelnut and ricotta cake coming your way soon.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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pear bundt cake with rye and ginger + a caramel sauce

10 Aug 2020



As we're in the heart of winter, fruit options are limited to apples, oranges and lemons, blueberries and pears. As I've made a few things with lemons, blueberries and apples, I decided to make a pear cake. I turned to the ever reliable Helen Goh and decided to make her pear cake with rye and ginger.



I had some home made stem ginger in the cupboard and everything I needed I found except for the pears, a fruit I rarely purchase, and treacle so I used golden syrup instead. I decided to use my favourite bundt cake and kept my fingers crossed that I'd be able to unmould the cake successfully. Bundt cakes are notoriously tricky.



To date everything I've baked in this tin I've been able to unmould successfully and this cake was no exception. 



The cake can be served as cake or a dessert. It was probably a case of gilding the lily but I had a jar of caramel sauce lurking in the fridge so I decided to serve the cake as a dessert with a dollop of cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. I've attached the caramel sauce recipe for you, which makes much more than you need. The sauce keeps well stored in an airtight jar in the fridge. Just remember to rewarm it before using.



Here's the recipe for you adapted from a Helen Goh recipe. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60 g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20ºC.



Helen Goh Pear Cake with Rye and Ginger+ Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
80g unsalted butter, cubed
110g soft light brown sugar
75g treacle or golden syrup
50g ginger syrup or golden syrup
100ml full cream milk
30ml vegetable oil
1 large egg
50g stem ginger or crystallized ginger, roughly chopped
75g rye flour
50g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp salt
1 medium ripe pear peeled and cored and chopped into ½ cm pieces.

Method
Preheat oven to 190C. Grease and flour and small bundt tin and place in the fridge until needed.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, the golden and ginger syrups in a medium saucepan and place over low heat. Stir gently until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then remove from the heat. Add the milk and oil, whisking gently to combine, then add the eggs. Whisk until the mix is combined, then fold in the chopped ginger. Set aside for the moment.

Sift the flours, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt into a large bowl, tipping in the bits of bran and germ from the rye flour caught in the sieve. Pour the wet, syrupy mixture into the dry ingredients, stir to combine, then fold in the chopped pears.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin then place the cake on an oven tray and onto the middle shelf of the preheated oven. Bake for one hour (varies depending on how juicy the pears are) or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake tin. Serve as is or you could top the still warm cake with the caramel sauce and a dollop of cream and serve this as a dessert or top the cooled cake with the glaze before serving.

Caramel sauce
1 cup cream
1 cup brown sugar
⅓ cup caster sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
¼ cup maple or ginger syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Method
Put the cream, the sugars, syrup and vanilla in a small heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to the boil stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil until a sugar thermometer registers 108°C. Remove from the heat then set aside for 20 minutes before whisking the mixture smooth. Add a pinch of salt to taste. It will still be runny at this stage but the caramel will continue to thicken as it cools. When it’s reached the desired consistency place the cake, still on the rack, over a sheet of baking paper before drizzling over. Any leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge. Just remember to rewarm it before using. 



Helen says the cake keeps well for up to four days. Slices may be warmed for a few seconds in the microwave before serving. I had my piece for dessert topped with caramel sauce, a dollop of cream and some stewed pears and it was absolutely delicious.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian

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blueberry lemon bundt cake

3 Aug 2020




When company's coming, I bake. As I'm in Brisbane at the moment I pulled out Dad's bundt tin and decided to make something seasonal using lemons and blueberries. 



I looked to see what was in the cupboard and I had all the basics. I found some almond meal and already had blueberries in the fridge so all I needed to buy were lemons. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I slightly modified my blueberry lemon loaf cake recipe so it would fit the tin and also reduced the sugar a little as my Dad doesn't like sweet cakes.



My Dad has 2 ovens and the main oven is on the blink at the moment so I made this cake in his second oven. I've not used this oven before and discovered it runs hot. The cake came out with a bit of a St Tropez tan but thankfully it wasn't burnt. 



Using almond meal results in a soft cake batter and when cooked the cake is quite 'tender' so be careful when turning the cake out from the tin. A drizzle of lemon glace icing completes the cake.



Here's the recipe for you, which makes a medium size bundt cake. I think you could also make this in an 8 inch tin if you don't have a bundt tin but it will probably take a bit longer to cook. For all my recipes I use a 250 ml cup, a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60 g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20ºC. 

Blueberry and lemon bundt cake
Ingredients
185 g unsalted butter
150 g caster sugar
Grated rind of 2 lemons 
3 eggs
1 cup self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
35 g almond meal
1/4 cup lemon juice (the juice of 1 medium Lemon)
150 g punnet blueberries

Icing
½ cup sifted icing sugar
1 tsp melted butter
½ lemon, juiced

Cake

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F conventional oven. Grease and flour a medium size bundt tin and place in the fridge whilst making the cake.

To make the cake, cream the butter, sugar and lemon rind in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix until combined well. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt then stir through the almond meal
. Add the flour mixture alternately with the lemon juice to make a soft batter. Gently stir in the blueberries then spoon the batter into the greased and lined tin. 

Bake the cake in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes to one hour or until the cake tests cooked when a skewer is inserted into it. Cool the cake in the tin for about 15 minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack. When cool drizzle with the icing.




Icing

In a small bowl combine the icing sugar with the melted butter and sufficient lemon juice to make a thick icing. If the icing thickens too much, you can thin it out with a teaspoon or two of boiling water. Drizzle over the cake and then let the icing set before serving.


The cake is simple but quite lovely and I'm wondering why I haven't made it for 3 years.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian
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