Brutti ma buoni means “ugly but good,” and this phrase is not only a cheeky description for this ricotta cake but the moniker bestowed on a beloved Italian cookie. Though recipes vary by region, Piedmont claims one of the most popular iterations — crispy, yet chewy chocolate hazelnut meringues shaped like crumpled pieces of paper.
Here, we borrowed and adapted the term for this simple, dazzling ricotta cake. While the intriguingly amorphous dolce might not be so easy on the eyes, it's most certainly easy on the palate.
Ricotta Cake “Brutta, ma buona”
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
11 oz. cow’s milk ricotta
½ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. potato flour, sifted
3 large eggs
1 lemon
powdered sugar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grate the lemon peel and juice the lemon.
Whip the egg yolks together with the granulated sugar, then mix in the ricotta, the potato flour, and the lemon peel and juice, and mix with electric beaters until smooth.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the mixture.
Line an 8”-round/2”-high cake pan with parchment paper, pour in the mixture, and bake for around 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
This article was originally published in La Cucina Italiana print magazine issue #2.