Strawberry Ricotta Cheese Cake

Prep Time: 25 mins | Cook Time: 35 mins | Course: Dessert | Serves: 10

A simple strawberry cake enriched with Italian ricotta cheese for a higher protein sweet treat, a bit of a marriage of cake and cheesecake. Inspired by Erin of Platings and Pairings https://www.platingsandpairings.com/strawberry-ricotta-cake-18/ and Michele and Joe, two Italian siblings of Our Italian Table

https://ouritaliantable.com/strawberry-ricotta-cake/ 

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 15 oz container ricotta cheese (about 1 ¾ cups)

3 eggs

½ cup butter, melted

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup fresh strawberries, quartered

Powdered sugar dusting, optional

Whipped Mascarpone Cream:

½ cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese

½ cup heavy cream 

1 Tbsp sugar

½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter or spray oil a 9” springform pan and set aside. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a batter bowl. Top with ricotta cheese, eggs, melted butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and strawberries. Fold in with a rubber scraper until just incorporated. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick tester comes out batter-free or a insta-thermometer reads a minimum of 200*. Allow to cool, dust with powdered sugar before serving if you like, or serve with a dollop of whipped mascarpone cheese.

To make the whipped mascarpone cream, whip the mascarpone cheese and heavy cream to soft peaks in a stand mixer. Add sugar and vanilla. Whip to medium peaks and serve over the cooled cake.