Receta Holiday Cake: Torta di Ricotta e Candita
THIS IS NOT A FRUITCAKE! (not that there's anything wrong with that!).
I love a good fruitcake, filled with nuts and spices and good candied fruit, if you can find good !!! (also known as "Fruit Glacé" in France, and "Frutti Candita" in Italy.
The title of the cake is in Italian, only because I used my special stash of Italian glazed candied fruit (frutti candita) that I brought back in my luggage on my last trip to Venice.
I have had it over a year wrapped in the fridge, using it oh so sparingly.
What am I saving it for?
The time is now. Enjoy your life!
Use that candied fruit in the back of the fridge, damn it!
I made a luxurious ricotta cake and added the special confections. I used candied whole Sicilian clementines, red & green cherries and candied zucca (some sort of square of pale colored squash, which I diced up). I also added in dark and golden raisins.
Of course I know it is impossible to get this kind of fruit in the States.....I have tried without any luck. When lockdown is over, first thing I am doing is going to Italy to buy more of this goodness. :)
This would be the perfect cake for the holidays......and you could always glaze the fruit yourself!!! (just a thought).
Here is how I made it:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar10 tablespoons of butter (1 stick, plus 2 tbsp)1 tsp vanilla1/4 tsp almond extract
- 3 eggs15 oz. of fresh ricottazest of 1 orange & lemon1/3 cup of golden and dark raisins
- 7 oz good quality candied fruit (candied orange, squash, & cherries)
- 1 1/2 cups of flour1 tsp kosher salt2 1/2 tsp of baking powder
- confectioners sugar for dusting
In a small bowl, toss the candied fruit with confectioners sugar (about1/4 cup). This will prevent the fruit from sticking together.
With a paddle attachment of a mixer (or your muscles), beat the sugar with butter and extracts for 2 minutes.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, then add in the zests and ricotta cheese.
Slowly add in the dry ingredients. You don't want to overmix the batter.
Add in the raisins and the candied fruit and mix together. The batter will be very thick.
You can bake this in a 9" round pan or 9" loaf pan, buttered and lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325F and bake for 30 minutes more.
Let rest a few minutes in the pan before removing to a cooling rack.
Dust with confectioner's sugar.
This cake stays MOIST for days and freezes beautifully.