Ricotta Cornmeal Cake and a LIST
I made a list for you. I hope you like it.
Please watch this video. It’s Jason Segel. It’s Neil Patrick Harris. It’s singing. It’s funny.
I can’t stop thinking about this bread. I will make it. Also her blog is beautiful, explore it!
This is mostly what I do every day.
Also, Liz Lemon gets me. I don’t drink, but I get her logic.
Finally, I really like this. I believe it to be true.
Most things that I like can be found here.
I also made some cake for you. I had three 15 ounce containers of ricotta that were screaming at me from the fridge. So I baked one into a cakey/cheesecake loaf thing. It tastes great, I just can’t describe it very eloquently today. Also I just spelled eloquently on my own, no assistance. It truly is the little things in life…
To start we need to gather up most of our ingredients. These are the stars of the cake [sorry vanilla and baking powder]. Also, real life moment, I spilled all that sugar on the floor and my dog ate it…
Okay, now all the creamy ingredients get mixed together in a stand mixer and the egg whites get beaten… by hand… in a large bowl… it’s only logical. This is what late baking looks like… The egg whites will stand up when the whisk is turned upward.
Once the egg whites are opaque and fluffy, we must FOLD them into the creamy mixture. Otherwise we lose all our hard work! This is what the folding situation looks like part way through.
This cake is somewhere between a cake and a cheesecake. It has some bite from the cornmeal and just enough lemon flavor. Pictured is one half of the loaf… the family got to it before pictures were taken…
Ricotta Cornmeal Cake
adapted from Italian Food Forever
makes one loaf – gluten-free!
6 tablespoons softened butter, plus more for greasing the pan
3/4 cup sugar
zest from one lemon and half the juice
3 large eggs, separated
15 ounces ricotta cheese [some brands are gluten-free, some aren't, check yours please!]
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal, plus a little extra for the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and coat with cornmeal, set aside.
In a bowl, or on a large plate, place the sugar and lemon zest. Rub and stir the two to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the softened butter and sugar/zest mixture. Cream until they are well combined. Scrap bowl the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
Add in the ricotta cheese a mix well. Scrap down the sides one more time.
Add in the egg yolks one at a time until well incorporated. Set aside.
In a large bowl place the egg whites. Beat with hand mixer or by hand until stiff peaks form. [see picture above for what stiff peaks look like]
Using a spatula, gently scoop the egg whites into the cornmeal ricotta mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites until just combined, no over-mixing!
Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake. Mine took almost an hour. I would start checking it at 40 minutes. It is done when it feels a bit firm and dense, and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Enjoy!
