Sweet ricotta torta with dark chocolate and orange zest 

I make this ricotta cake with “pasta frolla” a soft, crumbly, sweet short pastry scented with orange zest. It’s great for all manner of Italian pastry based desserts such as crostatas.

The bitter chocolate acts as a lovely contrast to the sweet tart filling.

Serves 8-10

100g unsalted butter, chopped

165g caster sugar

3 eggs

225g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

450g fresh ricotta

100g cream cheese, at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

100g 70% bitter chocolate

Icing sugar, to serve

Pinch of sea salt 

To make the pastry, beat butter, half the orange zest and 55g sugar in a  mixer until smooth and combined. Beat in 1 egg until well combined. Fold in the flour, baking powder, pinch of salt and 2 tsp iced water. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 200°C. Roll out pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper to around 3mm thick. Use to line the base and side of a 22cm, loose-bottomed, fluted tart pan, trimming any excess, then freeze for 10 minutes. Line the pastry with baking paper and baking beans (or rice), place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove the beans and paper, and bake for a further 10 minutes or until base is golden. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Reduce the oven to 150°C.

To make filling, beat ricotta and cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract, remaining orange zest, the remaining 110g sugar and the remaining 2 eggs, then pour the mix into tart shell. Bake for 30 minutes or until pastry is golden and ricotta is set with a gentle wobble in the centre. Cool to room temperature, then chill for 2 hours. Grate over the chocolate with a microplane or very fine grater and dust with icing sugar to serve.