Ciambellone alla Ricotta, Olio, Limone e Fragole / Ricotta, Olive, Lemon and Strawberry Cake

I call it an every day – all day cake, simply prefect at any time of the day.

The ricotta adds the desirable creaminess, olive oil keeps it moist and the lemon gives everything a lift and freshness.

For Caimbellone:

• 280-300 g of ricotta
• 230 g of plain flour, sifted
• 25-30 g of corn or potato starch
• 180 g of sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 60 g of olive oil
• 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
• grated zest from one lemon
• 2 flat teaspoon of baking powder
• optionally you can add 100 g or more of strawberries or any other fruit you might wish to use like raspberries or blueberries, for example

Preheat the oven to 180 C (160 C if fan assisted oven).

Grease very well with butter and dust with some flour a ciambellone/ bundt tin, 22-24 cm in diameter. 

Whisk together in a large bowl the ricotta, sugar, egg yolks, olive and lemon juice.

Now add both flours along with the lemon zest and stir thoroughly. 

Now add the baking powder and stir gently.

Whisk the egg whites until they start to form soft peaks.

Add them into the bowl with the batter, preferably not all at once, and fold until well combined.

If using, add the strawberries, or any other fruit of your choice, and give everything a gentle stir. You don’t want the fruit to break.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin, even out the surface if needed and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. The ciambellone should be well risen and golden in colour. You can check if it’s ready by inserting a skewer, which should come out clean if the cake is ready.

Take the tin out from the oven and let everything cool down for about 1h until turning it over.

Dust with icing sugar to decorate or smother some lemon and lavender icing on top (see the recipe).