If , like me, you trend towards fruit and vanilla over chocolate, I feel confident you could still fall in love with this perfectly straightforward, yet completely above-average chocolate tart. It’s easy to execute, flawless each and every time, and doable even by those who have never so much as melted chocolate, let alone dared make a tart. The raspberry ricotta cake, meanwhile, is on the less-sweet side, which was precisely my intention. Eat with a bowl of ricotta (sweetened or unsweetened) on the side – you know you want to.
Raspberry ricotta cake (pictured top)
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 10 min, plus cooling
Makes 1 x 23cm cake
If you’re craving something a bit stickier, a bit sweeter, know that, in lieu of the unsweetened berries, this versatile batter can be baked with a cup of jam or marmalade swirled in (any of your choice). The result will be a little sweeter and a bit more subtle in its delivery of the fruit, thanks to its more even distribution, but it will still be very delicious and extremely snackable. This cake can be baked three days ahead, wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature.
Cooking spray, for greasing
220g plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
365g ricotta
275g sugar
3 large eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 lemon, lime, grapefruit or orange (optional)
115g unsalted butter, melted
340-450g raspberries or blackberries, fresh or frozen
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Spray a 23cm round cake tin with cooking spray and line with baking paper.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta, 220g sugar, the eggs, vanilla and citrus zest (if using), until smooth. Whisk or gently fold this into the flour mixture until just blended, then fold in the melted butter, followed by half the raspberries, crushing them ever so slightly as you mix them in – you don’t want them to disappear into the batter, but rather distributed evenly to create a nice, streaky look, almost like tie-dye.
Transfer the batter to the lined tin and scatter the remaining raspberries and 55g sugar over the top. (It might look like a lot of sugar – it is! – but it’s necessary, I promise.)
Bake for 55-65 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before unmoulding, slicing and serving.
Perfect tangy chocolate tart
The crust can be made three days ahead, wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature. The tart itself can also be made three days ahead, wrapped tightly and refrigerated.
Prep 10 min
Cook 40 min
Chill 1 hr
Makes 1 x 23cm tart
For the crust
110g plain flour
30g unsweetened (Dutch) cocoa powder
40g icing sugar
½ tsp kosher salt
115g unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
225g bittersweet chocolate (68-80%)
115g milk chocolate, or more bittersweet chocolate
A pinch of kosher salt
160g thick double cream
110g honey
220g soured cream
Flaky sea salt, to finish
First, make the crust. Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, icing sugar and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and mix to combine; it’ll have a texture a bit like Play-Doh. Press this into the bottom and up the sides of a 23cm tart tin with a removable base (or use a 23cm pie dish or springform tin). Use a measuring cup or your hands to flatten the crust and make sure it is all packed and even.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the crust is completely cooked through and has turned from dark brown and shiny to a lighter dark brown and matt. It can be tricky to tell when it’s done, because the pastry is already brown, so test by pressing the centre: it should be firm and opaque, not squishy or greasy-looking. Remove and leave to cool completely.
Put the dark and milk chocolates and the salt for the filling in a medium heatproof bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the cream and honey on a medium heat. Once it starts to simmer (do not let it boil), take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate in the bowl. Let it sit for a minute or two, to melt the chocolate, then, using a spatula, mix until well blended and no pieces of chocolate remain. (You can whisk it, but be cautious of introducing air bubbles.)
Stir in the soured cream and mix until the mixture is thick, glossy and emulsified. Immediately pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt and refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
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Recipes extracted from Sweet Enough by Alison Roman, published by Hardie Grant at £28. To order a copy for £24.64, visit guardianbookshop.com
