serves
8
prep
30 minutes
cook
1:25 hour
difficulty
Mid
serves
8
people
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
1:25
hour
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) maple syrup
- 1 tbsp freshly grated lemon rind
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp whey (or milk)
- 225 g (1½ cups) plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 small beure bosc pears, peeled, cored, quartered
Homemade ricotta
- 1.8 litres non-homogenised milk (see Note)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) lemon juice (from 1½–2 lemons)
- 1 tsp salt (optional)
- instant read thermometer or candy thermometer
- cheese cloth
Instructions
To make the ricotta, pour the milk into a saucepan. Gradually warm the milk over medium heat until it reaches 95ºC (the milk will get foamy and start to steam; remove from heat if it starts to boil). Remove the milk from the heat and pour in the lemon juice and salt, if desired. Stir gently to combine, then let the milk mixture stand, undisturbed, for 10 minutes or until it is separated into clumps of milky white curds and thin, watery, yellow-coloured whey. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Gently pour the curds and whey through the strainer.
Let the ricotta drain for 10–60 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer your ricotta. If the ricotta becomes too dry for your liking, you can stir some of the whey back in before using or storing. Fresh ricotta can be used right away or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Discard the whey or reserve for making bread, stock or smoothies.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
To make the cake, grease and flour a 23 cm springform cake tin. Place 1 cup fresh ricotta, oil, maple syrup and lemon rind in a large bowl and whisk to combine. (Reserve the remaining ricotta for another use). Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking between each addition. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
Place the pears gently on top of the batter, cut-side down, in a circular pattern. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Note
• Using whole, non-homogenised milk, available from selected delis, specialty shops and farmers markets, is always the best choice when making cheese (or for any use of milk, really). Homogenised milk will also work, however homogenisation changes the milk’s natural fat structure, meaning that the portion size of the ricotta that you make may be smaller and the curd that forms may be a weaker consistency. Non-homogenised milk also has a much yummier taste because of the natural, undisturbed butterfat it holds.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
