Elevate your baking with this decadent Ricotta Torte with Marsala Soaked Fruits. The Marsala wine infuses a rich, slightly sweet taste with subtle hints of caramel and nuttiness, while the addition of sugar enhances the sweetness without overpowering the natural fruit flavours.
Ricotta Torte with Marsala Soaked Fruits Recipe
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
Cinnamon sugar, for dusting
Marsala Soaked Fruits
1½ cups marsala
2 tbsp caster sugar
250g dried figs, sliced in half
1 cup raisins
Thinly shredded rind of 1 lemon
Pastry
125g butter, softened
⅓ cup caster sugar
2½ cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 egg, plus extra egg yolk
⅓ cup pure cream
Filling
2 eggs, plus extra egg yolk
½ cup caster sugar
375g full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
500g full-fat ricotta cheese
1 tsp concentrated vanilla extract
⅓ cup pure cream
Method:
To make marsala soaked fruits, place marsala and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Add fruit. Remove from heat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Strain liquid and reserve fruit. Place liquid in a small saucepan. Rapid boil for 7 to 10 minutes or until syrupy. Cool. Stir into reserved fruit.
Invert base of a 23cm-round springform pan and grease well.
To make pastry, place butter, sugar, flour and baking powder in a food processor. Pulse until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs. Whisk eggs and cream, and add to mixture with processor running. When mixture forms clumps, tip into a large bowl and form a ball. Flatten 1⁄3 of mixture into a disc. Repeat with remaining dough. Wrap each disc separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until chilled.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Place a baking tray on the middle shelf. Roll a large disc of pastry and fit to base and sides of pan.
To make filling, place eggs and sugar in a small bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until pale and creamy. Place remaining ingredients into a large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until nearly smooth. Add egg mixture. Beat until smooth. Spoon into prepared base. Smooth the top.
Roll out remaining pastry disc. Use base of pan to cut a 23cm circle. Place on top of filling. Trim sides. Fold over and press pastry to seal. Place on hot tray. Cook for 25 minutes, then reduce temperature to 160°C. Cook for a further 25 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden and filling is set.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove side of pan. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate. Serve with fruits. Decorate with cinnamon.