Almond, raspberry and ricotta sponge cake

This is a really simple sponge cake recipe to pair with any soft fresh fruit such as raspberries, cherries, blackberries, plums or grapes. For this, I really wanted a simple, but very moist sponge for fruit, which it turned out to be a fine example of.

In addition to the usual sponge cake method of combining eggs, flour and sugar I tried two different tricks with the recipe in a bid to make the sponge moister; replacing half the granulated sugar with icing sugar and the addition of a few spoons of ricotta. The icing sugar and ricotta really add to the dense texture in the sponge, so much so it is almost a hybrid sponge-cheese cake. This goes together beautifully with the sharp and sweet raspberries hidden amongst it.

The third trick here is taking the sponge out before it's completely cooked through in the center and leaving it in the tin in a turned off oven for a further 15 minutes or so. This means the sponge round the edges hasn't dried out by the time it comes to the center being cooked.

Any of the fruit mention above would go really well here - just remember to stone the cherries, and slice and stone the plums if you use them. Also, seedless red grapes would be a preference if you choose grapes.

Ingredients :
3 eggs
150g butter
4 tbsps ricotta
Half tsp vanilla essence
100g granulated sugar
150g ground almonds
175g plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
Sprinkle of salt
75g icing sugar
1 Lime
100g fresh raspberries

1. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees C. Get a fluted flan dish with a removable base.
   
2. Beat the eggs and cream together the soft butter and caster sugar. Combine the eggs into the butter and sugar mix carefully (don't over stir).
3. Stir in 2 tbsps of the ricotta and the vanilla essence.
   
4. Sieve the flour, sea salt, baking powder, and icing sugar. Add the liquid mixture and combine.
   
5. The add the almond and granulated sugar again stir in long swoops, so not to over stir, it will be pretty heavy but keep going as it will all combine into a gooey batter mixture (about the consistency of cookie dough).
6. Add a very slight grate of lime zest and a slight squeeze of the juice of half the lime but not too much at all - just a hint.
7. Sit in the final two spoons of ricotta and pour out into the flan dish.
8. Push the raspberries into the batter. Spread evenly to cover the surface.
9. Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sponge in the middle is coming out still moist but cooked on the outer. Leave in the hot dish to cook either outside the oven for fifteen minutes of in a turned off oven for about ten in order to rest and continue cooking the center sponge.
   
10. emove from the flan dish and serve when cool with fresh raspberries and cream if you wish (but moist enough and good enough on its own).