lime & ricotta pudding

serves 4

This refreshing pudding couldn’t be easier to make. Apart from the lime and fresh ricotta, you may already have all the ingredients to hand. The quality of the ricotta is important—it should be crumbly, moist and fresh-tasting, not bland and dull.

60 g (2¼ oz) unsalted butter, softened

350 g (12 oz/1½ cups) caster (superfine) sugar

2 teaspoons lime zest, finely grated

3 eggs, at room temperature, separated

375 g (13 oz/1½ cups) fresh ricotta cheese or good-quality tub of ricotta

30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) self-raising flour

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) lime juice

2 teaspoons icing (confectioners’) sugar

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4) and grease a 1.5 litre (52 fl oz/6 cup) capacity ovenproof dish.

Using electric beaters, beat the butter and caster sugar with half the lime zest for 30 seconds, or until combined. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until well combined. Gradually add the ricotta and flour alternately and beat until the mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in the lime juice.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the ricotta mixture in two batches. Pour the mixture into the prepared dish and place in a roasting tin. Pour enough hot water into the tin to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake for 1 hour.

Sift the icing sugar over the warm pudding and sprinkle with the remaining lime zest. Serve warm.