This is the tale of a beautiful girl called Justine who couldn’t eat what all the other little boys and girls could eat. She loved to eat cakes and pasta and pizza, but when she had wheat she would feel very bad indeed.
When others celebrated birthdays at work, Justine would sing along happily wishing them the best of days and then pass her cake slice to the next person as it reached her hands. Sometimes, people would remember that she couldn’t eat wheat, and so there would be gluten-free chocolate cake.
One can’t help but think that Justine may have started to get very tired of gluten-free chocolate cake…
Yesterday was Justine’s birthday, so at the start of the week I told Justine to pick any gluten-free cake she would like and I’d make it for her. Justine arrived the next day with Rowie Dillon’s Indulge cookbook (full of amazing gluten-free recipes) and pointed out the raspberry and ricotta cake. It looked spectacular… but even better than that – it looked really easy. I tend to save all the complicated recipes for the weekend when I have more time, so this cake was perfect for a midweek cook.
I hadn’t been feeling well on Thursday night so I was grateful that 15 minutes after starting the cake, it was in the oven cooking. When I took it out it looked just beautiful – exactly like the recipe book picture. It smelt of butterscotch and berries and I found myself using all the willpower I had not to pick up a knife and slice into it. Never has a gluten-free cake mesmerised me so and I was pleasantly surprised.
The next day we popped in some candles, sang Justine a happy birthday and sliced into the cake. No one passed up the opportunity to try this unique gluten-free cake and so the demand was healthy and was deemed a resounding success by all. Two slices later Justine asked if she could take the rest home (not that there was much left) and before anyone had responded it was in glad wrap and in her bag.
And thus begins the tradition of wonderful gluten-free birthday cakes for Justine!
GLUTEN FREE RASPBERRY RICOTTA CAKE
Adapted from Rowie Dillon’s Ingulge cookbook
150g unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped
2 eggs
150g smooth ricotta
65g rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup almond meal
100g fresh raspberries
1 cup flaked almonds
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin.
In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar and vanilla seeds with beaters until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the ricotta and beat on low speed until the ricotta is just combined. Fold in rice flour, baking powder and almond meal with a large wooden spoon.
This cake looks absolutely divine. And better still I can eat it! It's GF! Thanks 🙂
"It smelt of butterscotch and berries" … now that is music to my ears. An absolutely stunning cake!
Thanks! It really does taste spectacular… I think I'll be trying more gluten free cakes again soon.
Haha. Thanks John. The butterscotch flavour was the biggest surprise with this cake.
Gorgeous cake! I love simple recipes like these and I loved your story. I wish I was your co-worker/lived nearby so that you could make me a birthday cake this year.
I love almond-based cakes like this! The flavor and moisture is always fantastic, and the fact that it's gluten-free is just a bonus.
Woo hoo! I cannot wait to see them!
That is a thing of beauty! I bet the ricotta makes it super moist, too.
Haha Thanks Connie! I wish you lived close-by too 🙂 I could learn your great baking tips first hand!
The moisture and flavour was definitely a winner with this!
Thanks Carolyn! The cake definitely turned out much prettier than I thought it would.
Really nice cake! Such great flavors! Love that last picture – nice light. Really nice post – thanks.
That is a beautiful cake and so nice of you to make it for her!! 🙂
Lucky Justine!
I prefer GF cakes sometimes – they are just so much more moist and light! You can always go another slice too!
It looks oh so PERFECT! I love that it's a ricotta cake – I am in love with them at the moment. And I do love the addition of raspberries. Perfect for Spring which is now here. YAYYYYYY!
This was beautiful and most… simply amazing!
At the end of it all, Justine's tummy was very satisfied… Happy ever after!
All photos taken with the Ego lights at night… I am seriously loving these lights!!
Thanks so much!
I agree. I think I might be converted to Gluten Free cakes permanently after this one.
I hadn't ever made a ricotta cake before – I'd certainly eaten a hellovalotta ricotta in my time though. I'm so excited about Spring too!!
Haha! I'm just delighted you loved it Justine!… and you finished the fairy tale too. 😉
A delicious looking cake! Perfect with a cup of tea.
Chers,
Rosa
Thanks Rosa.
Can you believe that I have a copy of Rowie Dillon's Indulge cookbook and I haven't tried this recipe yet? You have inspired me to give it a whirl. I love this post!
Oh wow! It's such a great book. You've got to try it 🙂
Sounds very lovely. Can I post your recipe with my page: (cake decorating classes)? Gluten free for cake is something new for me and my students have been very vocal about it.
wow! wonderful recipe, must try it out 🙂
london cakes