Rosemary-Pine Nut Butter Cake with Whipped Honey-Orange Ricotta Cream

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I’m hesitant to call this a cake. It is not at all cake-like (there are zero leavening agents in it); however, the recipe that I adapted this from called it a cake, so I shall too! But, I think the texture is much more like a blondie (actually, a lot like my Brown Butter Toffee Blondies). This is a dense and chewy dessert, and, quite frankly, one of the best I’ve ever had. The cake has a nutty, rich, browned butter taste, with assertive rosemary notes. Since rosemary and pine nuts both have strong flavors, neither overpowers the other.

While I love the cake on its own, I think that the Whipped Honey-Orange Ricotta Cream really brightens everything up. The ricotta gives a nice texture that you can’t achieve with whipping cream alone. The sweet and floral honey, and the sour-yet-sweet orange add freshness to the dense cake.

This cake is pretty addictive. Mikey would like me to warn you all that eating 3 slices is far too many for one evening and you will feel sickly full afterward. He recommends one at a time, and no more than two in a day, haha.

Rosemary-Pine Nut Butter Cake

recipe adapted from here

ingredients:

• 6 ounces (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2-3 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan, and set aside.
2. In a food processor, whir together the rosemary and sugars until the rosemary is finely chopped up and combined with the sugars.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the rosemary-sugar and butter on medium speed until combined. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and mix for about 4-5 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and uniform in color. Add in the flour and salt, and mix on low until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top. Bake the cake for 35-35 minutes until set and golden brown.
5. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.

 Whipped Honey-Orange Ricotta Cream

ingredients:

• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2/3 cup whole milk ricotta
• 2 tbsp clover honey
• zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp freshly-squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and beat with a hand mixer until thickened.