Low Carb Lemon Ricotta Cake

This is by far my favourite low cab dessert. It is quick to make, delicious and elegant looking enough to serve to guests. I ketofied this recipe from a posting I found on cakeletsanddoilies.blogspot.com The original recipe called for caster sugar and a dusting of icing sugar. I modified the recipe to use a sweetener and did away with the dusting. I also reduced the lemon zest and opted for pure vanilla essence rather than the bean.

Low Carb Lemon Ricotta Cake

Low Carb Lemon Ricotta Cake
Recipe

Preheat convection oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8 inch cake pan with coconut oil spray. Line bottom with a circle cut to size from a sheet of parchment paper and spray the top of the paper once in place.

1/2 Cup butter softened

1 1/3 Cups sugar substitute. (Splenda or Erythritol/Stevia mix are my standard choices)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon zest (zest from 2 large lemons should do it)

4 eggs, separated. (Room temperature is preferred to get better air in whites)

2 1/2 Cups almond flour

10 1/2 ounces ricotta cheese

1/4 Cup slivered almonds for top 

Beat together the butter, 1 Cup of the sweetener, vanilla and lemon zest until creamy and smooth being sure to scrape sides of bowl. About 5 minutes.

Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until all 4 are incorporated.

Add the almond flour and beat again until smooth. Fold in Ricotta. 

In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the other 1/3 Cup of sweetener and continue beating until stiff peaks form. 

Fold the egg whites gently into the almond flour mixture until well incorporated. 

Pour the mixture into prepared cake pan smoothing the top.

Sprinkle the slivered almonds over the top of the batter and bake for 45 minutes or until top is firm to touch. 

Note: For my oven I bake at 350, even on convection setting.  

Remove from oven and cool almost completely in cake pan. Once cooled enough to  turn out. Turn onto hand and then on to wire rack right side up. 

There are approximately 3.7 net carbs per 1/12th of the cake.