Spice Cake
by Jim Eaton

Ingredients:
1 ½ sticks room temp butter
2 eggs
15 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup raisons
¾ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1¾ cup unbleached white flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cardamom
1 teaspoon all spice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons dried ground ginger
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vanilla

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Butter and flour Bundt cake pan or line 9” round pan with parchment and grease sides using 1-2 tablespoons of the butter and enough flour to coat the pan.
3. Add vanilla to eggs and set aside
4. Add ricotta to food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Measure all dry ingredients into medium bowl. Whisk until combined. Sift into larger bowl until uniformly mixed (2-3 siftings.)
6. Combine butter and both sugars in mixer bowl. Mix at medium until combined.
7. Add egg and vanilla to sugar mixture and mix at medium high speed. Scrape down sides of mixer.
8. Add ricotta. Mix at medium speed until well combined and fluffy.
9. Add half of dry mixture to wet ingredients. Mix slowly until most of the dry ingredients are combined.
10. Add remain dry mixture and combine. Scrape sides of bowl.
11. Add raisons and walnuts (if using); mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated.
12. Pour finished batter into prepared pan, place pan on rimmed baking sheet and bake for 50-75 minutes or until cake is no longer wobbly and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
13. Cool 20 minutes – turn out of baking pan onto cooling rack over rimmed baking dish lined with aluminum foil.
14. Glaze with Citrus Glaze, while still warm – recipe follows
15. Transfer to serving platter.


Citrus Glaze

Ingredients:
12 - 15 tablespoons powdered sugar
Zest 1 orange
Juice half orange

Method:
Mix juice and zest in bowl.
Add 6 tablespoons of the sugar and mix.
Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until a smooth, thick paste is formed.