These cakes are based on the Baked Passionfruit Ricotta Flan I cooked recently. The original was made by Dr Rosemary who is an excellent dessert and cake maker. This time I made muffin sized cakes. I mixed the ricotta quite roughly so that some of the curds stayed intact – unintentional – but I rather liked the texture this created.
Ingredients
200 g butter in small pieces
1 cup caster sugar
4 free range eggs, separated
350 g ricotta
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup fresh passionfruit pulp
1 cup self raising flour
Method
Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees C. Grease a 12 hole muffin mold. Beat the butter and half the sugar with an electric mixer until well creamed and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time until combined.
Beat in the ricotta and vanilla extract, until smooth, or leave it a little rough as I did.
Stir in the pasionfruit pulp and sifted self raising flour.
In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the rest of the sugar until firm peaks form.
Gently fold the egg white mixture into the ricotta mixture, in 2 or more batches, trying not to lose the air in the egg whites.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin molds. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 20-30 minutes until the the cakes are firm to the touch. Cooking time will vary according to how much mixture you put into each muffin hole.
Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Serve with fresh fruit.
The Quirk and the Cool 