Ricotta Dolce

Preheat the oven to 170 °C (fan 150 °C / 340 °F). Finely grate the zest of the lemon and orange. Grease a 20 cm round cake tin generously with the softened butter and line the base with parchment paper.

Place the drained ricotta in a large bowl. Add the egg yolks, 90 g of the caster sugar, lemon zest, orange zest, vanilla extract, semolina, salt, and cinnamon. Beat together with a wooden spoon until completely smooth and homogeneous.

In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, then add the remaining 30 g of caster sugar and continue whisking until firm, glossy peaks form.

Fold one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the remaining whites in two additions, cutting through the batter with a spatula to preserve as much volume as possible.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Place the filled tin inside a deep roasting tray. Transfer to the oven, then pour enough boiling water into the roasting tray to reach halfway up the sides of the cake tin.

Bake at 170 °C (fan 150 °C / 340 °F) for 50–55 minutes, until the top is golden and the centre has a very slight wobble when gently shaken.

Remove the cake tin from the water bath and set it on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely in the tin — the cake will settle and firm as it cools.

Once fully cooled, run a thin knife around the edge of the tin to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate, then turn right-side up onto a serving plate. Dust generously with icing sugar just before serving.