This is a beautiful recipe and, if you are searching for an elegant way to end a dinner party, then you need look no further. This recipe is the freshly crowned as MasterChef 2012 champion, Shelina Permalloo, who has teamed up with Billington’s, the unrefined sugar specialist, to create a series of recipes that are guaranteed to add a touch of Mauritian flare to your any special dinner party.
In this video, Shelina demonstrates how to make luxurious Baked Ricotta Cake with Cherry & Star Anise Compote; the perfect complement to a stylish soiree (detailed ingredients list and recipe below video)
Cooking Time: Makes: 6
Ingredients For the Ricotta Cake:
2 medium free range whisked egg whites
250g ricotta
50g Billington’s Golden Caster Sugar
Butter for greasing ramekins
For the Cherry & Star Anise Compote:
400g ripe cherries, pitted
200g of Billington’s Glacé Cherries
3 star anise, whole
100ml water
150g Billington’s Dark Muscovado Sugar
100ml cherry brandy (optional)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3.
2. In a bowl, mix the ricotta until completely smooth and leave to one side.
3. In an electric mixer whisk the egg whites and Billington’s Golden Caster Sugar to soft peaks, fold in the ricotta carefully until the mixture is completely combined and smooth with no lumps.
4. Divide the mixture equally among 6 buttered ramekins. (Should you want to turn out the ricotta cakes, use a silicon muffin tray to ensure a smooth finish).
5. Next create a bain-marie by placing the ramekins into a roasting tray. Carefully pour boiling water into the tray until it’s halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
6. Place in the oven for 20 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
7. Remove the ramekins or silicon tray from the bain-marie and allow to cool.
8. To make the compote place all the ingredients into a pan and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, until the syrup is lovely and glossy and the cherries are still whole. This can be stored in the fridge once it has cooled down.
9. To serve, pour the compote over the baked ricotta cake if kept in the ramekin or turn the cooled ricotta cake out of the silicon tray onto a plate and spoon over some of the lovely glossy compote. For an extra decoration place a whole star anise on top of each cake.