Dining with Den – Pear, Ricotta and Pine Nut Cake

PEAR, RICOTTA and PINE NUT CAKE

By Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8-10
Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened
150g (⅔ cup) caster sugar
2 eggs
200g fresh full-fat ricotta
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
250g (1⅔ cups) self-raising flour, sifted
3 pears (about 500g in total), peeled, cored and cut into 2cm pieces
3 tbsp pine nuts
Icing sugar, for dusting
Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 21cm round cake tin with butter and
line with baking paper.
Cream the butter and sugar together, either using a wooden spoon or stand
mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one
at a time, beating well between each addition. Spoon in the ricotta, along
with the vanilla and lemon zest. Add the flour and gently mix until the batter
is smooth and the flour is well incorporated. Stir in the pear, then spoon the
batter into the prepared tin. The batter will be quite stiff, so be as gentle as
possible. Top with the pine nuts and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer
comes out clean when inserted in the centre.

Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool
completely.
Lightly dust the cake with icing sugar before serving.