My little brother and his gorgeous wife have birthdays a week apart. I baked this simple cake with lush chocolate frosting and fresh fruit to honor both their birthdays yesterday. The fresh violas on top of the cake were not only stunning to look at but totally edible. I baked this cake at an informal dinner a couple of weeks ago and it tastes amazingly fresh and warm out of the oven with the chocolate glaze still runny and oozing down the edges. The liqueur-infused frosting adds the right bite to the smoothness of the ricotta and the tang of the lemon. And there is no butter!
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup rice bran oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup smooth ricotta
- 1 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 cups self raising flour
- chocolate glaze
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, I used Triple Sec
- slices of fresh figs and edible flowers to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and line a 20cm (or 24cm) cake tin with baking paper. (I like to use a deeper cake tin with a smaller diameter to get a taller cake).
- Place oil, eggs, sugar, lemon rind, lemon juice and ricotta in a large bowl. Whisk with an electric beater till smooth and combined. Sift over the flour and stir until smooth.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 50 minutes until cooked through and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, combine all ingredients for chocolate glaze in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt on low heat, stirring constantly till the glaze is smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and pour over the warm cake. Decorate with figs and flowers. Set aside for an hour to set.
can i make it with any other oil.. like olive oil or vegetable oil?
absolutely. I would try a light olive oil or even a nut oil like macadamia.
I take great pleasure in telling people that a recipe has no butter in it if it has no butter in it just to see the shock on their face :D. Thanks for your very helpful critique, that helps immensely! -
Sneh, that cake is gorg. Are the edges a little crispy (in the best way of course) or is it a softer crumb? And did you use full fat ricotta? Loverly!
Thanks Heidi! Softer edges when warm, a bit crispy as it got cold. Yep, full fat ricotta lol. I am a sucker for full fat ricotta, butter, milk 🙂
I made just the cake, no toppings and it's really good. I used a 9" x 13" (USA) pan and it got a little overcooked at the bottom, which should have anticipated since it's much more spread out than you lovely, tall cake. Not nearly as pretty, but still delish!
Gorgeous photos and I love the violas! The 50mm f/1.4 is one of my fave lenses, i'm sure you'll have lots of fun with it 🙂
Lemon ricotta cakes are so light and refreshing. I like the addition of the chocolate glaze too!
i love figs! this looks so good thanks for sharing :O)
ohhh wow! This looks divine! what a lucky family you have. I have been buying figs at the markets, they are so good this season!
i made your potato, olive and sundried tomato bread !!! divine !!!
So pretty! This looks absolutely delicious - yum!!!
Thank you for the recipe - it came just in time. I was going to ask you for it, to make for Grants birthday - he is still raving about your cake! The photos (and cake) are stunning - very envious about your new lens 🙂
That is one gorgeous cake, the figs and chocolate glaze look so luscious! This sounds like a really lovely and not too complicated recipe.
What a lovely cake. I like baking with ricotta, it always gives cakes a lightness and a distinct flavor that other dairy products don't.
Awesome! I wish someone will make this for me!
No butter??? Shocking- How could you???!! The cakes are a treat to look at and I love the unusual wat you've decorated them. I generally do like cakes with minimal frosting anyways! With regrads to what you asked on Twitter, I think IMHO, the first image is slightly unexposed but the second is great. FG 'prefers' overexposed 'white' images but don't change your style for them 🙂
Thanks Sukaina! lol, I take great pleasure in telling people that a recipe has no butter in it if it has no butter in it just to see the shock on their face :D. Thanks for your very helpful critique, that helps immensely!
Stunning cake! And not only pretty, I can imagine the flavour of the ricotta + lemon... wow!
Thanks Gaby 😀
that is one of the most beautiful looking cakes i've ever seen, i love the flowers, so pretty, wow.
Thanks Satch! You made my day 🙂
I love a simple recipe - this one is great and looks great! I've been wondering what to make with a tub of ricotta I bought recently. Love the use of edible flowers too, so pretty 🙂
Thanks Martyna! Awesome, you'll love this one if you choose to make it. The first time I made it with orange rind and orange juice, equally delicious.