Ricotta and lemon cake with roasted strawberries

This is the sort of cake I crave: simple, understated and wonderful with seasonal fruit. asserted

Made with ricotta and almond meal, it has a tender, close-textured crumb that’s almost pudding-like instead of light and fluffy. asserted

At this time of year I like to serve it with roasted strawberries, which become especially sweet and fragrant in the heat. asserted

The cake itself is quite shallow; a good dusting of icing sugar keeps it simple, elegant and delicious with the fruit spooned alongside. Ingredients For the cake 180g unsalted butter, softened 30ml olive oil 200g caster sugar 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from 2 medium lemons) 3 eggs, at room temperature 250g ricotta 1 tsp vanilla essence 190g plain flour 70g almond meal 1½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp fine sea salt icing sugar, for dusting For the roasted strawberries 400g strawberries, washed and hulled 40g sifted icing sugar Method Make the cake Step 1 Grease and line the base and sides of a springform cake tin (approximately 22-23cm) with baking paper. Step 2 Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). Step 3 Place the butter, olive oil, sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. asserted

Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally to ensure everything is evenly combined. asserted

Don’t worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled at this stage. asserted

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. asserted

Arrange the strawberries, cut side down, on the lined tray. asserted

Roast for 10-15 minutes until they slump and begin to caramelise around the edges. asserted

Step 3 Set aside to cool slightly before transferring to a serving bowl, along with any juices from the tray. To serve, transfer the cake to a serving plate and dust generously with icing sugar so the top is covered. asserted