Black Cherry Cake with Ricotta Cream

This simple one pot cake is beautifully moist from using oil instead of butter and can be topped with a variety of fresh or tinned fruit.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup milk
½ cup cream
¾ cup caster sugar
finely grated zest 1 large orange
50 ml fruity extra virgin olive oil
50 ml rice bran oil
1 tablespoon whiskey, optional
2 x #7 eggs (large), lightly beaten
1⅓ cups plain flour
pinch salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
425 gram tin pitted black cherries in syrup, drained
¼ cup sliced almonds
2 x 20cm cake tins, greased, base and sides lined with baking paper.
To serve
250 grams firm ricotta|
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons icing sugar
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C. fan bake.
Put the milk, cream, sugar and the orange zest in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar but don’t let the milk get hot and start to bubble.
Take off the heat and stir in both oils and the whiskey. Whisk in the eggs.
Combine the flour, salt and baking powder then gradually whisk in to make a smooth batter. Divide evenly between the tins then dot each with half of the cherries then the almonds.
Bake for 20 minutes until the tops are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Leave in the tins for 30 minutes then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely. Cakes can be made two days ahead.
To serve: Stir the ricotta, sour cream and icing sugar together in a bowl.
Place one cake on a serving plate and spread with the ricotta cream. Top with the second cake and dust with icing sugar. Makes 1 cake.
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