Cake Ingredients

·       ¾ cup butter, softened

·       1 ½ cups sugar

·       425g whole milk ricotta cheese

·       3 large eggs

·       1 teaspoon vanilla

·       1 large lemon, zested and juiced

·       ½ teaspoon baking soda

·       ½ teaspoon salt

·       1 ½ cups flour

Cake method

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch springform pan using butter and powdered sugar; set aside.

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2.    In a large mixing bowl or stand up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until combined. Add in the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

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3.    Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix to combine. In the same bowl, stir in the baking soda and salt. Lastly, add in the flour and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of bowl to full incorporate all of the ingredients.

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4. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

 

5. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing the collar and base of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and wait until cooled to slice in half.

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Rhubarb Curd

Ingredients

• 365 g fresh trimmed rhubarb, cut in 1 inch pieces

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 cup sugar

• juice of 1 lemon

• 4 large eggs, well whisked

• 2 Tbsp room temperature unsalted butter

• 1 or 2 drops pink food colouring

Method

1. Blitz the rhubarb and water in a high speed blender like a Nutribullet, or a food processor and process until very smooth.

2. Press the puree through a fine mesh sieve so the rhubarb juice comes through, leaving the solids. You'll need 1 cup of juice.

3. Put the juice into a saucepan and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Add the whisked eggs and whisk everything together well.

4. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring or whisking constantly, over medium to medium high heat. You can add a few drops of food coloring at this point if you need it.

5. Once the mixture comes to a boil it should be slightly thickened and should coat the back of a spoon (it will thicken more as it chills.) Remove from the heat and add the butter, a bit at a time, whisking in to melt each piece before adding the next.

6. Pour the curd through a mesh strainer to remove any bits of cook egg, then fill your jars or container and let cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating overnight.

7. Use the curd within 2 weeks.

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Italian Meringue

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar (200g)

• 1/2 cup water

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.

 

Method

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, stirring only until it comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, stop stirring. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240°F (115°C) on an instant-read or candy thermometer. Brush down sides of pot as necessary with a pastry brush dipped in water.

 

2. Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (see note). Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes.

 

3. With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. (Hot sugar is just as dangerous as fryer oil, so use caution!) Increase speed to high and whip until desired stiffness is achieved.

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4. To serve, spoon rhubarb curd into the middle of the ricotta cake, add meringue and blow torch until brown. Place top tier on and spoon more rhubarb curd on top, then more meringue and blow torch to finish.

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