Sicilian Orange Cake with Whipped Ricotta Cream

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I'm a big fan of this cake. The texture is a little bit like a semolina cake (due to the almond meal). It requires neither oil, nor butter (the almonds are rich enough in fat) but the oranges make it incredibly moist.



CAKE
2 large oranges
5 large eggs
8 oz. almond meal (225 grams)
8 oz. sugar (225 grams)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
(in France or Italy, ricotta is mostly found in containers of 250 grams. I used 2 tablespoons for the cake and the rest of the container for the whipped cream)

 WHIPPED RICOTTA CREAM
250 grams ricotta cheese (minus the 2 tablespoons used for the cake), cold
20 cl whipping cream (no less than 30% fat), cold
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange



Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
Rinse and boil oranges with skin on until soft (20-25 minutes). Allow oranges to cool.
Cut in quarters, removing the pips. Blend until smooth.
Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients before mixing thoroughly.
Line bottom of an 8 or 9-inch springform cake tin with parchment paper and pour mixture in.
Bake for 45-50 minutes.

In a bowl (I place mine in the freezer for 30 minutes beforehand), whip cream with electric beaters until it thickens. Add ricotta cheese, confectioner's sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract and beat for another 2 minutes until whipped cream is stiff and adheres to the bowl if you tilt it.
Serve cake slice with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top.

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