SRC Reveal: Ricotta Cheesecake with Crème Fraîche and Figs

It's time for Group B's September 2016 for the Secret Recipe Club. This month I was assigned to Maxcie at Why I Am Not Skinny.

She is a South African food blogger who lives in Belgium. And, I think, she has the best, most honest name for a food blog!! She succinctly writes what I've always thought, but never articulated: we all spend a lot of time around food. "We celebrate major occasions (Birthday’s, Graduations, promotions, religious holidays like Easter & Christmas, etc) with food. We raid the fridge when we are sad…  or bored… or just because it is there! We meet friends for breakfast, brunch, coffee, lunch, drinks and dinner…." So, so true.

Her blog is her "happy outlet to reminisce over meals, recipes, restaurants and general food gathering experiences… " and share them with us. Thank you, Maxcie!

Perusing her recipes, I came up with several that I have marked to make for later. As always, the number of entrees or appetizers outweigh the desserts. But that's just me. I can't wait to try her Beetroot & Coriander Dip, Cheese, Corn, and Mushroom Savoury Tart, Basil and Sun-Dried Tomato Roulade, and Crab Linguine. We love Bobotie, so I will definitely be giving her version a try soon. The Apple-Stuffed Pork Fillet, and Goat Cheese & Chive Soufflé topped my list and, if I could have gotten my hands on fresh passionfruit (or granadilla as she called it) I would have made her Passionfruit Mousse, 

Then , completely out of the norm, I opted for a sweet instead of a savory. I made a few adaptations to her recipe, making it gluten-free - so my husband could indulge - and topping it with crème fraîche and fresh figs. But I absolutely loved the orange blossom flavor to the cake. Genius, Maxcie!

photo by Why I Am Not Skinny

I still have no idea what is on top of her cake; it's not listed in the ingredients. Those aren't fruits with which I am familiar. At first I was thinking gooseberries, but I think they're too small. And I really have no clue what the red pods are. Can anyone help me out??

inspired byWhy I Am Not Skinny's 

Baked Orange Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients makes one 8" square cake

• 3/4 C organic granulated sugar
• 1 C butter, softened
• 2 C whole milk ricotta
• 1 t orange blossom extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 C gluten-free flour blend (I used a mix of sorghum and white rice flour)
• 1 t baking powder
• crème fraîche for serving
• fresh figs for serving

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter baking dish and set aside.

Cream sugar and butter together until lightened and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating between each egg. Whisk in the ricotta and orange blossom extract. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder.

Spoon batter into a greased pan. Bake for 60 minutes until the top if firm and golden. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

To serve, place cake on individual plates. Put a dollop of crème fraîche on top and garnish with quartered figs. Serve immediately.

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