Lemon Ricotta Olive Oil Cake
Usually I have a pretty good reason to be baking a cake from scratch. Whether it’s a birthday or a holiday, there’s always a good explanation. Not this time. Unless you count three days in a row of bright sun during the Pacific Northwest winter as something to celebrate.
Sometimes (often) I just get a craving for cake. Less often do I have the desire to make one myself. But I haven’t made an olive oil cake in a while, and I know they’re pretty easy, pretty fool-proof, and pretty delicious.
I found a base recipe for an olive oil cake in Claire Saffitz’s book, Dessert Person and modified from there, crossing my fingers it’d work out. The full recipe is for a blood orange upside-down olive oil cake and it also has the privilege of being the book’s cover shot.
Long story short, olive oil cakes are indeed simple and easy to modify. This one turned out great, and with just the right garnishes and touch of extra sweetness from the whipped cream, it was perfectly satisfied my cravings.
This lemon ricotta combo isn’t exclusively for desserts. Try making Homemade Ravioli with lemon zest added to the ricotta filling.
Tips for making a lemon ricotta olive oil cake:
Reduce the amount of olive oil: Because of the added density and moisture of ricotta, it’s necessary to reduce the oil. This recipe called for 1½ cups of olive oil, but I reduced it to ⅔ cup and added a little over 1 cup of whole milk ricotta.
Add rum: Never a bad idea, right? This recipe included Grand Marnier to complement the blood orange. I replaced it with two shots of white rum.
Use a lot of lemon zest: One large lemon or two mediums should do the trick.
Add rosemary syrup: For an added layer of flavor and sweetness, a touch of homemade rosemary syrup complements the lemon really nicely. Plus, you’ll use it if you make the Boozy Whipped Cream recipe below.
Squeeze fresh lemon over a slice: To add even more citrusy notes just as I was enjoying a slice of cake, I squeezed some of the lemon garnish over the cake. It absorbed it right away, and the tartness was balanced by the sweet whipped cream.
Boozy Whipped Cream
This whipped cream is best charged with nitrous oxide, which helps it get its fluffy yet sturdy texture. If you don’t have a canister and charger just whisk it by hand, shake in a jar, or use an electric mixer. The final product may be a little runny, but will still be a delicious and creamy drizzle for the cake.
Combine the following ingredients and whip by method of choice:
8 oz. heavy whipping cream
1½ oz. white rum
1 oz. rosemary syrup