Rich almond ricotta cake

Ingredients

• 250g ricotta cheese
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 175g caster sugar
• 250g almond meal
• Finely grated rind of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup flaked almonds
• Icing sugar to dust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
2. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm loose bottom cake tin.
3. Beat together the ricotta, egg yolks, almond extract and sugar in an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in the almond meal and lime zest.
4. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture to loosen, then fold in the remaining. Spread into the tin and bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with the almonds and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool slightly, then turn on to a wire rack. Cool completely then dust with icing sugar to serve.