Rich Ricotta Cake

My mother-in-law, who resides in a nursing facility near us, turned 85 over the weekend. We brought her to our house and had a little party for her. Several relatives and her children were in attendance so that made it a bit more special, as some of them had traveled to see her. Seeing as it was going to be a beautiful day, we grilled basic foods...burgers, sausage, hot dogs. I made potato salad, romaine salad and baked beans. And we had a bunch of different olives, tomatoes, cheeses, roasted red peppers and caramelized Vidalia onions to add to the burgers. Sometimes simple is best! And there also had to be a birthday cake. I opted to make one and used a recipe that I have had for years and resurrect from time to time. It is easy and refreshing. The neat thing about this cake is that it turns itself upside down in the pan when you bake it. When you start, the cake mix is on the bottom. When you cut into the cake, the cheese part is on the bottom! After the cake cools, put it in the fridge to get it cold. I have served this a couple different ways. For Sunday, I frosted with Lite Cool Whip flavored with sugar-free instant vanilla pudding and decorated the top with sliced fresh strawberries. I have also just dusted the cooled cake with confectioners' sugar and the spooned some warm fruit over the top. What works well is to take a can of sliced peaches in their own juice and add some golden raisins. Warm through in a small saucepan and scoop over individual servings. Top with a little fresh whipped cream and sprinkle with a few toasted sliced almonds. And I have decorated the top for patriotic holidays by frosting with Cool Whip and making an American flag using blueberries and strawberries on top. You can also add a bit of food coloring to the cheese before baking and it will make a pretty presentation when you cut into it.

RICOTTA CAKE

Serves 12-16

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 box Yellow Cake Mix (follow directions on box)

2 lbs. part skim ricotta cheese

4 eggs

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spray bottom of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan and pour prepared cake batter into pan.

Beat eggs just until blended. Add powdered sugar, ricotta and flavoring. Beat until blended. (Don't overbeat or ricotta will get too thin.)

Spoon ricotta mixture over unbaked cake batter. Make sure it is spread evenly.

Bake 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Dust powdered sugar over the top after cake has cooled. Delicious served with warm fruit and syrup. Or, serve cold with whipped cream topping.