Makes 12 servings.
This easy to make cake with a touch of farmer cheese is a delicious and very light dessert that is also gluten free. It’s easy to prepare since there are few ingredients and you can even find the almonds already ground.
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ pound farmer cheese
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces, plus 1/2 tablespoon for greasing the wax paper
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 2 ½ cups blanched almond flour or 2 ½ cups finely ground blanched almonds (10 ounces whole, See Note)
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Line a 9 by 1 ½ inch baking pan with a removable bottom with wax paper and grease the paper.
- Strain the farmer cheese through a ricer.
- Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the balloon whisk attachment beat the butter at medium speed adding the sugar gradually until pale, about 5 minutes. Add 1 egg yolk at a time and continue beating until combined. With a rubber spatula add the farmer cheese, the lemon zest and the almond flour. Combine well.
- Beat the egg whites also in a mixer, at high speed until stiff soft peaks form.
- With a large rubber spatula, fold half of the whites into the batter. Reverse the process, pouring the batter over the egg whites. Gradually fold the mixtures together, making a motion like a figure 8 until all the whites have disappeared. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 40 minutes. The top will be light brown. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Invert, the cake, remove the wax paper and invert again.
NOTE:
I use Bob’s Red Mill ground blanched almond flour. Almond flour is found in health food stores. It is simply blanched almonds ground to a flour consistency.
