Torta Di Ricotta

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 1 cup golden raisin
• 4 tablespoons grappa or 4 tablespoons brandy
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 6 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons milk or 2 tablespoons cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or 1/3 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts
• 1 cup coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate
• confectioners' sugar

Recipe

• 1 in a small bowl soak the raisins for at least an hour.
• 2 pre heat oven to 375f& grease two deep 9 1/2" x 1 1/2" cake pans.
• 3 fit a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each and grease the paper then dust with flour, shake out excess.
• 4 toast the pine nuts in the oven for 3-4 minutes, watch closely they burn easily.
• 5 beat eggs until pale yellow.
• 6 gradually add sugar and continue beating until thick.
• 7 add ricotta& milk (cream)& continue beating until the mixture is smooth.
• 8 sprinkle in the orange zest and fold in with a spatula.
• 9 sift 3 cups of flour with the baking powder.
• 10 gradually add the flour mixture to the egg/cheese mixture, beating at a slow speed until the mixture is smooth.
• 11 drain& dry the raisins, reserve the brandy.
• 12 toss raisins with the remaining flour, add to the batter.
• 13 gently fold in the the brandy, nuts& chocolate.
• 14 divide between the two pans, bake on middle rake for about 40-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
• 15 if the cakes start to brown too quickly place a loose sheet of aluminium foil on top.
• 16 cool cakes on wire racks.
• 17 remove from cake pans and discard the parchment paper.
• 18 you may now freeze the cakes,well wrapped for up to 3 months or sprinkle a generous coating of confectioner's sugar.