Bake of the Day: Cakes -- Lemon Almond Ricotta Bundt Cake I am not a health freak but I do look at what a eat. My motto is everything in moderation is OK. There was a phase in my life, few years back, when I tried making 'healthy' foods that really tasted 'healthy' (you know what I mean, right??). I'm glad that phase has passed and now I try incorporate healthy ingredients into my dishes but try to make them taste as normal as possible.
Coming to today's dish, I had a container of ricotta in the fridge waiting to be used up and a quick search landed me on this Lemon almond Bundt cake recipe. I loved the pics and decided to bake it.
The day I baked this cake, I was also cooking few other dishes -- so all the ingredient mixing was done while doing 3 other things at the same time. So everything went into the bowl without much thought -- just quick glances into my phone -- mixed, poured into the baking pan and into the oven for baking.
After about 10 minutes when I started cleaning the dishes (cleaning dishes is like zen to me -- I feel at peace and my brain finally starts to work), it is then I realized that I didn't add any oil or butter in the recipe. I quickly washed my hands to check the recipe and realized that the recipe has any added fat in it. I got worried on how the cake was going to turn out.But thankfully, it turned out very well -- better than my expectations. It was a little dry to my taste and may be next time I'll add some vegetable oil to make it a little more moist.
The cake tasted great though. The ricotta cheese made it taste like khoya/ mawa which I really liked. It has a bread like texture and with the lemon flavor in the cake and in the drizzle is quite refreshing. Serve the cake with some berries and whipped cream for a delicious Summer dessert.
Recipe adapted from here:Ingredients: For 12cups Bundt cake Sugar - 1cup
Water - 1cup
Lemon zest - 1tsp (from one medium lemon)
All purpose flour - 1½cup
Wholewheat Pastry flour - ½cup (or use 2 cups all purpose flour)
Baking powder - 2tbsp
Salt - ½tsp
Ricotta Cheese - 2cups (either full fat or part skim will work here)
Eggs - 2 large (or use 2tbsp egg replacer or flax seed meal whisked in 6tbsp water)
Lemon extract - ½tsp
Sliced Almonds - ½cup
For the Drizzle:
Confectioners sugar - ½cup
Almond extract - ¼tsp
Lemon juice - ½tsp
Milk - 1~2tsp
Method:
- Combine sugar, water and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil while mixing to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 1~2 minutes. Turn off the heat and cool for 15~20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease and flour 12cups bundt cake pan.
- Sift flour(s), baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
- In another bowl, combine the sugar syrup, ricotta cheese, eggs and lemon extract. Mix well to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well.
- Stir in the almonds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40~45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting it over onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the Drizzle: Combine all the ingredients for the drizzle in a bowl and whisk well.
- Drizzle it over the completely cooled cake and sprinkle with some chopped almonds (if desired).
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