Helen Goh's pineapple and ricotta skillet cake

Name: Helen Goh's pineapple and ricotta skillet cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Contemporary
Ingredients: 160g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 10g extra, softened, to grease the skillet; 160g caster sugar finely grated zest of 2 limes; 3 large eggs; 100g ricotta; 160g self-raising flour; ½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; 50g almond meal; 5 tsp vanilla essence; fresh mint, to garnish; double cream, to serve

Helen Goh

August 12, 2022

Time:1-2 hoursServes:6

Baking and serving a cake directly in an oven-proof skillet not only simplifies the process, it’s also an invitation for everyone to relax. If you’re the baker, it obviates the need to line a cake tin with baking paper or to grease and flour an elaborate bundt tin. You also do away with the anxiety, however slight, that the cake isn’t going to turn out of its mould in one piece. If you haven’t tried the combination of salt and chilli with pineapple, get ready to be converted.

Ingredients

160g unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus 10g extra, softened, to grease the skillet
160g caster sugar finely grated zest of 2 limes
3 large eggs
100g ricotta
160g self-raising flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
50g almond meal
5 tsp vanilla essence
fresh mint, to garnish
double cream, to serve

FOR THE TOPPING

½ medium pineapple, peeled (about 400g after peeling)
120g light brown sugar
30g unsalted butter
juice of 1 lime (about 40ml)
¼ red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
¼ tsp flaky sea salt

Method

Step 1
Preheat oven to 170C (190C conventional). Grease the base and sides of a 20cm oven-proof skillet or dish with the 10g of softened butter, then set aside.
Step 2
Combine the butter, sugar and lime zest in the bowl of a cake mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and creamy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl down well with a rubber spatula to ensure the batter is evenly mixed; it will look curdled at this stage, but don't worry, this won't affect the final bake. Add the ricotta and continue to beat on medium-low speed until combined, then stop the mixer.
Step 3
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, then stir in the almond meal. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two batches, mixing for just a few seconds each time. Remove the bowl from the mixer – the batter will not be fully combined yet – add the vanilla essence, then continue folding with a rubber spatula to incorporate.
Step 4
Scrape the batter into the greased skillet, smoothing the top with a small spatula. Place into the preheated oven and bake for about 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool for about 20 minutes.
Step 5
While the cake is in the oven, prepare the topping. Slice the pineapple in half lengthways, then in half again to form 4 long wedges. Trim away the core, then cut across the wedges into thick slices – about ½ cm each.
Step 6
Combine the brown sugar, butter, lime juice and chilli (if using) in a large frying pan and place over low heat. Stir gently for a couple of minutes until the sugar has dissolved, then add the pineapple and salt.
Step 7
Increase the heat to medium and stir gently to coat the pieces of pineapple in the bubbling caramel. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the pineapple has softened and the caramel is thick and glossy, then remove from heat.
Step 8
When the cake has cooled a little, spoon the caramel and pineapple over the top. Garnish with mint and serve directly from the skillet, with cream on top or alongside. The cake may also be served cold; just spoon over the caramel and fruit when ready to eat.