Saffron Ricotta Cake - La Ciccia Sicilian

By CheeseDiva

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon loosely packed saffron threads
• 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained overnight in the refrigerator in a cheesecloth-lined sieve
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Pinch of salt
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• Honey, warmed, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325�. In a small bowl, steep the saffron threads in 3 tablespoons boiling water. Let stand until the water cools.
In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, flour, orange and lemon zests, salt and the saffron water. Mix well.
In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until thick and almost white, about 5 minutes. Gently fold the beaten eggs into the ricotta mixture until you no longer see clumps of ricotta. Transfer the batter to a 9-inch springform pan. Put the pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake until the center is firm to the touch, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack, then refrigerate.
To serve, remove the sides of the pan and cut the cake into wedges. Drizzle each portion with a little warm honey.