Bring a touch of Italian taste to your table with this simple but delicious polenta cake, made without flour and eggs. The recipe includes chopped almonds and sultanas, but you can substitute pine nuts and chopped dates if you wish.
Ingredients:
45g sultanas
2 tbsp brandy (optional)
225g ricotta
250g caster sugar
225g polenta
Pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
20g unsalted butter, chilled and cut into
small cubes
2 tbsp chopped almonds
2 tbsp milk chocolate chips
Put the sultanas and brandy in a small bowl with enough water to cover them and leave for 30 minutes. Drain and dry well.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees and grease your cake tin (22cm spring-form preferred).
Put the ricotta in a large bowl and add 450ml cold water. Beat with a wire whisk or electric beaters until smooth. Don’t be alarmed by the thinness of the mixture – it can be very liquid, depending on the brand of ricotta used.
Add the sugar and beat until smooth. Then stir in the polenta, nutmeg, lemon zest, vanilla, sultanas, almonds and chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the cake tin. Dot the surface with butter and sprinkle with sliced almonds on top. Then put the tin on a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 90 minutes until golden and set.
Serve warm or cold, dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by whipped cream.
Jurgita Vaskel is a food blogger. Visit her blog at duonosirzaidimu.wordpress.com
