Strawberry-Ricotta Cake

This refreshing summer cake contains a sponge cake bottom with walnut flour, which gives it an earthy and nutty taste. The topping contains Italian ricotta cheese, and does not require any baking.

Ingredients:

All-in-dough:
30 g flour
1 flattened teaspoon baking powder
100 g sugar
100 g walnut flour
3 eggs

Topping:
400 g strawberries
1 lime
6 g gelatine powder
100 g powdered sugar
500 g Ricotta

Decoration:
100 g strawberries

Springform (26 cm/9 inch diameter)
Parchment paper
Stovetop pot

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 F). Add parchment paper to bottom of springform.
2. In a bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add all remaining ingredients for all-in-dough, and whisk until a smooth batter has formed. Pour batter into springform, distribute evenly, and bake for about 25 min.
3. Remove springform ring, and put cake upside down on parchment paper, remove springform bottom, and let cake cool. Carefully remove parchment paper, and put cake bottom on a plate. Put springform ring around cake bottom.
4. Wash strawberries and cut into small pieces. Wash lime with hot water, towel dry. Zest lime, set lime zest aside, squeeze lime, and collect the juice.
5. Mix 6 g gelatine powder with three tablespoons of water in a stovetop pot. Let sit for 10 min.
6. Sift powdered sugar, and mix well with ricotta and lemon zest.
7. Add lime juice to gelatine, and gently warm up while stirring until gelatine dissolves. Stir in four tablespoons ricotta mixture, then add gelatine mix to remaining ricotta. Fold cut strawberries into ricotta mix, then add topping onto cake bottom.
8. Let cake cool for at least two hours in the refrigerator.
9. Decorate cake with strawberry quarters.

Comments:
1. The original recipe calls for hazelnut flour. Because hazelnuts are sometimes difficult to find in the US I used walnut flour instead. I am sure almond flour will work, too, but it will be less nutty and finer in taste.
2. The ricotta cheese gives the topping a grainy texture. Some people might dislike this. An alternative to ricotta may be Greek Yoghurt.
3. I prepared the sponge cake two days in advance, and let the cake cool overnight in the refrigerator. The sponge cake didn't get soaked and overly moist, and the topping had enough time to set.
4. Overall, not my favorite cake. I liked the bottom, but the ricotta texture I didn't particularly like. It is a good a somewhat lighter summer cake, though. I would rate it 3 out of 5 stars.