Breadmaker Lemon Ricotta Cake

For the homemade ricotta cheese, place milk and salt into the basket of a breadmaker and select Jam Setting function for 30 minutes. Open the lid of the breadmaker and add lemon juice, then close the lid and, using the same setting, let the appliance do its work for another 40 minutes.

Line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Remove basket of ricotta mix from the breadmaker and pour into the cheesecloth. Leave the milk solids in the cheesecloth and discard the whey. Place the colander on a plate (if you’ve got a small cheese basket, you could transfer the cheesecloth wrapped ricotta to that) and allow the ricotta to continue draining in the fridge for at least an hour before using.

For the cake batter, place butter, buttermilk, milk and eggs into the clean basket of the breadmaker. Remove ricotta from the fridge and crumble into the wet ingredients in the basket. Select the Cake Kneading function for 8 minutes.

Add flour, baking powder, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla paste into the wet mixed ingredients and mix on the same setting for a further 5 minutes.

Transfer cake mix from the basket into a clean bowl. Wash out the breadmaker basket, remove the paddle attachment and ensure it is thoroughly dry. Next, lightly spray the basket with cooking oil, then return the mixture back into the greased basket. Select the Bake Only function under the Sweet menu for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Remove the basket from the breadmaker and leave to cool slightly for 30 minutes. Tip up the basket to remove the cake and slice. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream and lemon curd on top.

– This recipe was made using the Panasonic SD-YR2550 Bread Maker.

– My buttermilk was leftover from my homemade butter recipe, but you could go store-bought.