Lemon Ricotta Cake

Name: Lemon Ricotta Cake
Total time: 145
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 cup water; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 lemon, thinly sliced, about 9 slices; 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus 1 tablespoon; 1 cup flour, divided, plus 3 tablespoons; 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar; 4 large eggs, room temperature; ½ teaspoon lemon extract; 2 teaspoons lemon zest, packed, divided; ½ cup stone ground yellow cornmeal; 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature; 2 tablespoons powdered sugar; 4 strawberries, thinly sliced; ¼ cup blueberry

Recipe by Alix Traeger from tasty.co

Desserts 2 Hr. 25 Mins.

Ingredients

8 servings

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1 cup water
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1 cup granulated sugar
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1 lemon, thinly sliced, about 9 slices
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8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus 1 tablespoon
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1 cup flour, divided, plus 3 tablespoons
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1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
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4 large eggs, room temperature
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½ teaspoon lemon extract

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2 teaspoons lemon zest, packed, divided
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½ cup stone ground yellow cornmeal
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2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
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½ teaspoon kosher salt
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1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, room temperature
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2 tablespoons powdered sugar
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4 strawberries, thinly sliced
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¼ cup blueberry

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the candied lemons: In a high-walled, wide pan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Add the lemon slices to the pan, making sure they are submerged in the syrup. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lemons have softened and have started to caramelize, about 35 minutes.
Gently transfer the lemon slices to the prepared baking sheet and let cool completely, about 20 minutes. The candied lemons can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using. (The syrup can be strained, cooled, and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Try adding it to cocktails and desserts!)
Make the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) nonstick springform pan with 1 tablespoon of butter. Add 3 tablespoons of flour to the greased pan and tilt to coat completely. Turn the pan over and tap out any excess flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the remaining butter with an electric hand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running, add the sugar and beat until evenly incorporated, about 3 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the eggs, 1 at a time, making sure to fully incorporate each before adding the next. Stir in the lemon extract and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining cup of flour, the cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the ricotta and stir just until combined, but do not overmix.
Set the prepared pan on a baking sheet. Pour the batter into the pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the sides and top of the cake are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool for at least 45 minutes. Once the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, release the springform. With a wide metal spatula, gently transfer the cooled cake to a cake platter.
Dust the top of the cake with the powdered sugar. Top with the strawberries, blueberries, and lemon slices and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of lemon zest.
Enjoy!