“I think the heart is a lot like those wonderful fruit, like coconuts and mangoes, you know, you have to break the skin, you have to break it open to get to the good part.” Saul Williams
This simple flourless cake has it all: moist with a nice crumb, a crunchy topping of coconut, just sweet enough with its great taste coming from the dynamic marriage of tangy lime and sweet coconut. Totally gluten free and with loads of healthy protein from the almond meal and the ricotta cheese, the cake is a virtuous indulgence. Delicious and beautiful for a lovely spring dessert.
Flourless Coconut-Lime Ricotta Cake
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon coconut extract(can substitute vanilla)
1/2 cup sugar - 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, divided
- zest of 2 limes
juice of 2 limes
4 large eggs, room temperature, separated
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
2 1/2 cups almond meal
Preheat oven to 325F. Generously butter a 9″ springform pan.
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Reserve.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, lime zest and coconut extract.
Beat in the lime juice then the egg yolks, one at a time.
Beat in the ricotta, 1 cup of the coconut and the almond meal until blended.
Gently fold in the egg whites.
Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Sprinkle the top with the remainining 1/2 cup of the coconut.
Bake in the center of the oven for 45-50 minutes.
Cool in pan. When ready to serve, remove sides, serve with a dollop of whipped cream.
Weeping Coconuts(Cocos gimientes), Frida Kahlo, 1951, oil on board, LA Country Museum of Art
French Gardener Dishes 