Strawberry Ricotta Cake - Epres Túrótorta

The question was what to make with the strawberries? We had a mild disagreement when it came to answering that specific question. I had a strawberry ricotta cream on my mind. My family had something different. But we came to the conclusion to have a strawberry ricotta cake! This cake has a soft and chocolatey-walnutty base and a thick but creamy and fresh layer of ricotta cream on top! To make it even more irresistible there are hidden strawberries under the ricotta cream! It is a very light and satisfying dessert, ideal for a Sunday afternoon indulgence :)

ps: This beauty was created by my lovely Mom. I'm having finals so I don't quite have the time for baking.

Strawberry Ricotta Cake

for the base

2 eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon bread crumbs

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon corn starch

3/4 cup walnuts - rough chopped

Whisk egg whites with the sugar until stiff. Incorporate the egg yolks, flour mixed with the baking soda, bread crumbs, cocoa powder, starch and chopped walnuts. 

Pour the dough into a 26 cm big cake pan and bake it for 10 minutes on 170C.

for the cream

500 grams ricotta cheese

180 grams powdered sugar

1 lemon

400 ml heavy cream

500 grams strawberries + 100 grams

1 sheet gelatin

4 tablespoons water

Using a hand mixer, mix together the ricotta cheese with the sugar, the juice and the zest of the lemon. 

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Mash the strawberries with a blender.

Soak the sheet gelatin in water for 5 minutes, then wring it gently to remove excess water. After that, add it to the 4 tablespoons of water and warm it until the gelatin dissolved. 

Add the strawberry puree to the ricotta, then gently fold into the whipped cream. Add 1-2 tablespoons of ricotta cream to the melted gelatin and if it's incorporated then pour it into the ricotta cream. Mix it together. 

When the cake base has cooled down, put it on a plate. Place the sides of the cake pan over it so the ricotta cream would hold up. Cut 100 grams of strawberry to smaller pieces and put them over the cake. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of some type of liquore, like Amaretto on it. Add the ricotta cream. Let the cake chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours. Decorate it with strawberries. Enjoy :)