This cake is on the less-sweet side, precisely my intention. If you’re craving something a bit stickier, a bit sweeter, know that, in lieu of the unsweetened berries, this versatile batter can be baked with 1 cup (250g) of jam or marmalade swirled in. The result will be a little sweeter and a bit more subtle in its delivery of the fruit, thanks to its more even distribution, but will still be very delicious and extremely snackable. Delicious with a bowl of ricotta (sweetened or unsweetened) on the side — you know you want to.


Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spray a 23 cm round cake tin with cooking spray and line with a round of baking paper.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

• In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta, 220g of the sugar, the eggs, vanilla and citrus zest (if using) until smooth. Whisk or gently fold into the flour mixture just until blended. Fold in the melted butter, followed by half the raspberries, crushing them ever so slightly as you fold – you don’t want them to disappear into the batter, just distributed evenly to create a nice, streaky look, almost like tie-dye.

• Transfer the batter to the cake tin and scatter the remaining raspberries and 55g sugar over the top. (It might look like a lot of sugar – it is! But it’s necessary, promise.

• Bake until the cake is golden brown, and a tester or toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, 55–65 minutes. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before unmoulding.
  
  Note: This cake can be baked 3 days ahead, wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature.
  
  Recipes extracted from: Sweet Enough (Hardie Grant)

First published in The JC October 5 2023