lemon, ricotta, pinenut cake

I really need to start making more savory dishes, but when a recipe is as beautiful and elegant as this, I could not resist. This lemony cheesecake comes from Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes from the London River Cafe (see previous post). This is a Tuscan variation of Torta della Nonna, a traditional Italian cake made at Easter with raisins and pastry. This recipe utilizes simple and wonderfully-rich ingredients to yield a creamy, tangy, delicious cake.

Lemon, ricotta, pinenut cake
Adapted from Italian Two Easy

lemons 3
white bread crumbs 1/2 cup
ricotta 2 1/2 cups
sugar 1 cup
eggs 3 whole + 2 yolks
creme fraiche 1 cup
mascarpone 1 cup
vanilla extract 1 tsp
pine nuts 1/3 cup

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Butter the sides and bottom of a 10-in springform pan.
Grate zest from lemons, squeeze out the juice, and mix together.
Drain the ricotta using cheesecloth.
Beat ricotta with sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and yolks, one at a time. Still beating, add creme fraiche, lemon mixture, mascarpone, and vanilla extract.
Shake the bread crumbs in the pan to coat the sides and bottom evenly. Pour in the batter and scatter the pinenuts on top. Bake for ~45-50 min, until egdes are slightly browned and center is slightly wobbly.
Let cool, and unmold.