How strange that with more time on my hands than ever – no commutes, no getting dressed, no going out, no seeing friends – it feels like I haven’t actually gained any. I guess I am cooking more regularly during the week than I normally would, and it’s true that I’ve been reading slightly more than usual. But there’s a whole slew of things on the to-do list that I just never seem to get to. This blog being one of them.
Instagram, too! You’d think that being more isolated would make me more interested in the connection social media can provide. I’m normally very into the escapism of scrolling semi-mindlessly through photos of freshly baked bread and vistas of Greek islands. But now it feels like everyone is making the same thing, and I’m not super interested in seeing yet another photo of viral scallion pancakes or banana bread. GOD, the banana bread.
At the same time, I’m often in my kitchen these days tackling new recipes. A lot of baked goods have been coming out of the oven – fougace! flamiche! – and they are all objectively beautiful, and they make me proud every single time. I sometimes text a photo to my mom. But I haven’t felt like sharing far and wide.
Anyway, I don’t really know why. And I don’t need to. I’m trying to go with the flow nowadays more than ever. When there’s not much to do, I’m trying to lean into the things that are calling me, which seem to be redecorating the terrace and walking absurdly long distances with ankle weights on. Just know that I’m carrying on over here and that cooking is providing even more comfort to me than ever. Yesterday I did a virtual weight-lifting class in front of a freshly baked leek tart.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (7 oz.) cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks / 6 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups vanilla sugar or sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (14 oz.) fresh ricotta
- 1/4 cup (1.7 oz.) vanilla sugar or sugar
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped out, seeds and bean reserved
- 1/4 cup (2 oz.) water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with a rack in the middle position. Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and vanilla sugar on low speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Slowly beat in the ricotta, then the dry ingredients on low speed. This cake benefits from gently mixing.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for about 20 minutes more, until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, vanilla bean and seeds and water, bring to a simmer and simmer until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is beginning to thicken, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Unmold the cake and return it to the wire rack, right side up. Set the rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Cool completely.
Notes
From Franny's
