Raspberry Ricotta Cake

After returning to work this week I'm amazed (and slightly horrified) at how easily I slipped back into my old routines. It's my first days off and already I spend all my free time furiously trying to enjoy myself while I can. Obviously, this makes it difficult to actually relax at all, so I've escaped to Whidbey Island with my friend, Michaela, in hopes of getting a little farther away from work while getting to enjoy my favorite part of Washington. Michaela and I drove to the ferry last night in the pouring rain and after a terrifying, partially blind, drive through the dark, we made it to her mother's house and have spent today shopping at the island thrift store and walking through the nearby town.

Michaela's mother, Teresa (or Tdog, as we so affectionately call her), has a lovely home here, a lot like a log cabin, in "an intentional community" (hippie commune) called "Talking Circle". They grow their own fruits and vegetables and have community owned ducks, chickens, goats, and cows. Teresa is currently raising adolescent chickens in her downstairs shower stall. The first time I came to this house I immediately commented that the house smelled faintly of farts, what any polite house guest would do, and Michaela replied, "Oh, that's just the water." and explained to me that the water here comes from a well and has a high sulfur content. Aside from my shower smelling of rotten eggs (and the other shower smelling of chickens), I really love it here and fantasize about moving here daily.

I made this raspberry ricotta cake yesterday, in hope of being able to write about it here. Since returning home my motivation to write has been nearly nonexistent, as has my time to cook. This was my third attempt at a recipe this week as the others had failed in various ways. A few days ago I made a whole meal of chicken and vegetables only to find that I didn't take a single photograph worth posting. So I made this cake yesterday and practically tore my house apart in a food photoshoot for it, ensuring that wouldn't happen to me again. The cake then travelled with me in an hour's worth of traffic from my house to Michaela's, during which I tore into it with my bare hands in a moment of hunger driven panic, and then again from her house to Teresa's on Whidbey Island where I am writing now.

I discovered this cake on Bon Appetit's Instagram. I had been craving a berry cake but was looking for a recipe that wouldn't be too sweet or too time consuming. Making this cake was a breeze; it took only ten minutes, if that, to throw the batter together. You then throw it in the oven for about an hour and you have a cake that is ready to go; no frosting, strudel toppings, or even powdered sugar necessary. This raspberry cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, teatime, snacking, or dessert. It looks beautiful and tastes amazing. The wonderful thing about this cake though is that frozen berries work just as well as fresh, so it can be made any time of year. I often opt for frozen if only to save a little money. The biggest change I've made to the original recipe is that I double the amount of raspberries they recommend, I don't think I have to explain that choice.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes Active time: 10 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups ricotta

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter + extra for the pan

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (if using frozen, do not defrost, keep frozen until ready to use)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350° F/ 175°C/155°C with fan

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.

In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together ricotta, eggs, and vanilla.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When just combined, fold in the melted butter.

Stir 1 cup of the raspberries into the batter. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9 inch pan (a springform pan works well but is not necessary) and scatter the remaining cup of raspberries on top.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a cake tester/toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.