RICOTTA FILO CAKE

Ricotta Filo Cake image

Provided by nigel slater

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 21

90g butter
200g fillo pastry sheets
500g ricotta
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp honey
A pinch of ground cinnamon
50g granulated sugar
75g candied citrus peel
75g golden raisins
Finely grated zest of a lemon
Finely grated zest of an orange
2 level Tbsp all-purpose flour
Vanilla extract
70g ground almonds
To finish:
3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp chopped candied citrus peel
Confectioners' sugar
Special Equipment
You will also need a 20cm (8-inch) tart tin with a removable base.

Steps:

Set the oven at 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Melt the butter in a small pan. Place a baking sheet in the oven. Line the tart tin with a double sheet of filo, letting it fall over the edges. Brush with some of the butter, then continue with all the sheets of filo, letting the pastry overhang the tin where necessary and generously brushing them with butter as you go.
Put the ricotta, eggs, egg yolks, honey, cinnamon and granulated sugar into the bowl of a food mixer and combine to a smooth cream. Fold in the candied peel, raisins, finely grated citrus zest, flour, a capful of vanilla extract and, lastly, the ground almonds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the lined tin, smooth flat, then gently fold the overhanging pastry sheets to the middle, curling them over as you go to make loose rosettes of pastry. Bake for forty to fifty minutes, until the pastry is crisp and the filling lightly firm to the touch.
To finish:
Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Melt the honey in a small saucepan, stir in the candied peel, then spoon over the pastry. Dust with icing sugar and leave to cool before slicing.