Raspberry Ricotta Buckle

A buckle is a type of coffee cake that has a fruit layer between the cake and the streusel.

Makes 1 9-x-13 inch cake

Serves 16 to 20

Ingredients

• Cake:
  • 1 cup regular ricotta cheese (not extra creamy)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
• Streusel & Fruit:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • pinch ground cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 cups fresh or thawed, frozen raspberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F and grease a 9-x-13 inch pan.
2. Whisk the ricotta, sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, lemon zest and juice together. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add this to the ricotta mixture and stir just until blended. Spread this in the prepared pan.
3. For the streusel, stir the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon together and then stir in the butter until the mixture is evenly combined. Sprinkle the raspberries over the ricotta cake (if using thawed frozen berries, drain excess juices and toss the berries with 2 Tbsp of flour) and top the fruit with the streusel. Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan, before serving.
4. The cake will keep, wrapped and unrefrigerated, for 3 days.