• Go beyond the traditional lemon tart and whip up something inspired instead. You do not need a sweet tooth to appreciate this dessert. These quick and easy ricotta and lemon cakes boast some of Sicily’s most beloved flavours. The ricotta makes these treats beautifully soft, and the tang of lemon is complemented perfectly by a light dusting of icing sugar. We love that this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and it is the perfect, tangy treat for those who enjoy a lemony dessert.

    Ricotta and lemon cakes

    Serves: Makes 8 small cakes or one 20 cm cake
    Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 175 g butter, softened
    • 175 g (¾ cup) castor sugar
    • zest of 2 lemons, grated
    • 3 large eggs, separated
    • 300 g ricotta
    • 130 g (1 cup) self-raising flour
    • 5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
    • icing sugar, to serve

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease two 6-hole large muffin pans.

    2

    Using a food processor, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the lemon zest, egg yolks and ricotta, and beat again on a low speed.

    3

    Using a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the ricotta mixture.

    4

    Gently fold in the flour and baking powder and pour into the greased muffin pans.

    5

    Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the cakes are firm and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pans.

    6

    When cool, dust with the icing sugar before serving.

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