Lemon Ricotta Cake
I once worked for a travel company as a “cook”. They posted us to all kinds of countries within Europe, with varying degrees of accommodation and standards of kitchens. I have never done an organised tour and I was completely unaware that a lot of the “cooks” who applied for jobs were ex- passengers who had been around the circuit, assessed the standards and applied to be posted in their favourite cities.
I had finished my culinary training, worked in a ski resort in the Snowy Mountains in Australia as a breakfast cook, travelled to Bali , and was now in Europe, looking for a job. I was presented with the prospect of spending the “summer” in the Lakes District of England, where I was told, it was beautiful and that I would absolutely love it.
It was beautiful and there was a lot to love, but living in a tent in the English countryside is not all it’s cracked up to be! These were a budget tour and some of the accommodation was in camp sites. I was alone on a camp site where I was the caretaker of 20 bright yellow tents, a new kind with internal frames. Pegs were not much use in the rocky damp soil and bent easily when driven in. I had a very large “cooks “tent that doubled as an eatery if the weather was too hazardous for dining on the outdoor tables….. Back up there a minute………
Yes weather, the Lake District’s location on the north west coast of England, coupled with its mountainous geography, makes it the dampest part of England. Yes, and windy. I spend a good part of my 4 months chasing yellow tents. Wind would whip up under their skirts and they would fly up into the air and crash down in a heap in the creek. The tents had bases that were internally attached and so when my tent became a parachute so did all of my belongings. It rained constantly and there was never enough sun to dry anything when it peeked through the “summer” clouds This was depressing and I needed a lot of positive thinking and a fare amount of cooking skills to get me by. A bus of 55 people for 2 days, breakfast lunch and dinner from 4 large gas burner’s and some giant pots, in a cooks tent, subject to wind and rain?…….. fortunately there was a budget and as long as I met it I was able to improvise in any way I liked , and that may very well be cause for another story because this one is about to take a turn for the better. Between each tour I had two days to spare.
Ricotta and chocolate gluten free cake
I loved the local cheeses and tried to incorporate them into my menus. I became friendly with a local, who had a van and this enabled me to get about a bit more, buying local produce and visiting the markets. I cooked for him on my days off , in his lovely dry warm caravan with a fridge and tiny gas burners and pots, where the wind was a bay outside the doors and windows and there was a TV and a bottle of wine, this ended up being my accommodation, of course. I stayed on a little while at the end of the season. I had a tiny space in the local paper where I published a few recipes using ricotta cheese and had my 5 minutes of fame.
When I saw this recipe for Ricotta cake on www.cookrepublic.com it reminded me so much of the recipes I had but didn’t keep. So I started making it . I have taken this cake firmly and warmly into my life, as I did the fellow with the warm dry caravan. It is the height of simplicity and well and truly open for reinterpretation. Try the ricotta cream, it is deliciously addictive but of course, not quite as naughty as your average whipped cream.
I only made one adjustment to Sneh’s recipe and that was the addition of a Tablespoon of honey to enhance the keeping qualities.
Ingredients |
Unit:
|
- 200 ml oil 3/4 cup
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest finely grated
- 40 ml lemon Juice 2 tablespoons
- 250 gm fresh ricotta
- 350 gm caster sugar 1 3/4 cup
- 300 gm plain flour 2 cups
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 40 ml lemon Juice
- 200 gm icing sugar 1 cup
- 100 gm dark chocolate chopped
- 60 ml cream
- 250 gm ricotta
- 1 tablespoon pure icing sugar sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 250 gm cream full fat or thickened (1 cup)
Instructions
- Put the eggs, oil, sugar, zest , juice and ricotta into a mixing bowl and beat till well combined . The mixture looks thick and smooth. Stir in the flour ,till just combined.
- Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake 40- 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Put 1 tablespoon of juice into a bowl then sift over the icing sugar and mix till smooth. Use the additional juice if you would like a slightly thinner icing.
- Heat the cream in a small pot, till very hot but not boiling Take off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, and stir till smooth.
- Put the cream, ricotta sugar and vanilla into the bowl of a mixer and beat till light and fluffy and soft peaks form. Use a a filling for Ricotta cake or as a topping .
Recipe Notes
Mix this cake batter till just combined or it may be a little tough.
I can’t imagine being stuck in a tent in rainy England, that should have been such a challenge, but this cake is truly lovely!
Gourmantine recently posted..Sunday lunch
Did people actually pay to have this kind of holiday? I would see that as a severe form of punishment. It sounds like a bad episode of ‘Survivor’. How you cooked or stayed sane in those conditions really amazes me. I’m glad you have good memories of the food you cooked – this cake looks amazing xx
Hotly Spiced recently posted..Maple Syrup Lamb and…Band Practise
I didn’t know that honey enhanced the keeping qualities Tania but I guess that makes sense. Great tip!
That sounds like quite an interesting job you had. I can picture you chasing the tents around so vividly.
Claire @ Claire K Creations recently posted..Next Door Southbank
Your story reminded me of the season I was the cook on a camping trip around New Zealand. I cooked in different camp kitchens each night and never knew what was coming next. Nothing was organised so I had to make the menus, buy and make the food as I went along. A steep learning curve. And some of the campers on the tour were quite a challenge. A great experience though. You were lucky to find a companion who made it all worthwhile.
Living in the tent, windy, and chasing tents…I am not sure that’s for me at all.
Both cakes are splendid!
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted..Green Bean Spelt Cake with Hazelnuts and White Wine
Haha! Living in the UK I can confirm that staying in a tent in the English countryside is never a good idea 🙂 Love the look of this beautiful cake though, beautiful!
thelittleloaf recently posted..Caramelized White Chocolate Brownies
Some things are more romantic / enjoyable in imagination than in real life! This cake, though – equally good for both I suspect.
Kari @ bite-sized thoughts recently posted..Lindt Excellence Madagascar 70% cocoa chocolate, and Koko Black’s 80% dark chocolate
I have to give you so much credit for not only cooking in those circumstances but managing the camp. The ricotta cake sounds terrific.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted..Winter…A Black And White World
Sounds so good with the hazelnut flour, and the ricotta cream is a great idea!
Your adventure doesn’t sound like much fun really, with the nasty weather and poor conditions- I prefer Glamping to camping, 5 star all the way 🙂
InTolerant Chef recently posted..Great Aunt Daisy’s Grape Cake
Gosh I’d actually forgotten that for a good while that’s exactly the sort of thing I wanted to do. A cook with a travel company, the more remote the better. Unlike you though, I never actually did it…well besides a stint on a tropical island, but I digress.
Cake delicious…lemon and ricotta, you can never, ever go wrong, and funnily enough, I got some lovely ricotta today.
cityhippyfarmgirl recently posted..loving that… spelt brownie
Wow,
These cakes look incredible! I really would love a big slice of the strawberry and ricotta cake.
this gal doesn’t do tents. 🙂
terrific cake, tania! i always enjoy a glaze or two. 🙂
grace recently posted..white mint can’t jump
What fantastic looking cakes! They look delicious.
yummychunklet recently posted..ffwD: Coeur à la Crème…
What a lovely cake Tania. Tents and I are not friends 🙂
Tandy recently posted..Weltevrede Wine Estate, Bonnievale
Sounds like a fun (albeit kind of crazy) experience! this lemon ricotta cake looks lovely. I love citrus desserts!
Joanne recently posted..Recipe: Spice-Roasted Squash with Walnut-Green Harissa {GIVEAWAY} {eat.live.be}
Kudos to you for cooking and managing in those circumstance. I can’t imagine doing it all from a tent 😉
Luscious cake, Tania! I need more than 1 slice, please? 😀
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com recently posted..Chicken Taco Soup
What a riot! Can just picture you flying after flying yellow tents…as for the cakes, yum all the way!!!