Hello all,

I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet. I just made
one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
(wetter than the previous attempts).

Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
for the lemoncello.

So, what modifications should I try on the recipe? The three sources of
water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.

I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
"larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?

The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).

So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?

Thanks for your suggestions,

Jon

On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:13:09 -0600, Jon Danniken >
wrote:

>Hello all,
>
>I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
>several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet. I just made
>one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
>(wetter than the previous attempts).
>
>Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
>for the lemoncello.
>
>So, what modifications should I try on the recipe? The three sources of
>water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.
>
>I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
>significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
>and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
>"larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>
>The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
>consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
>runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>
>So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
>Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>
>Thanks for your suggestions,
>
>Jon

Did you drain the ricotta? My dime is on that.

Costco's butter is not particularly high in water content, and while
some European brands are higher in fat, I do not think that is it,
either.

There may be something to do with your using extract rather than
actual lemoncello, as the alcohol content can affect moisture- I say
this based on all those pie crust recipes that called for a slosh of
vodka. Even so, 2T of extract shouldn't make things too wet.

Do you use commercial almond flour, or are you grinding the nuts
yourself?

On 2/4/21 7:31 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
> <snip>
>
> Did you drain the ricotta? My dime is on that.
>
> Costco's butter is not particularly high in water content, and while
> some European brands are higher in fat, I do not think that is it,
> either.
>
> There may be something to do with your using extract rather than
> actual lemoncello, as the alcohol content can affect moisture- I say
> this based on all those pie crust recipes that called for a slosh of
> vodka. Even so, 2T of extract shouldn't make things too wet.
>
> Do you use commercial almond flour, or are you grinding the nuts
> yourself?
>

Hi Boron, I haven't been draining the ricotta, but I tossed some from
the current batch in a sieve and it's lost a little bit of water so far.
I have used two almond flours; the first was more coarse, the last
batch was finer (Costco brand); both are commercial.


Thanks,

Jon

On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:35:34 -0600, Jon Danniken >
wrote:

>On 2/4/21 7:31 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
>> <snip>
>>
>> Did you drain the ricotta? My dime is on that.
>>
>> Costco's butter is not particularly high in water content, and while
>> some European brands are higher in fat, I do not think that is it,
>> either.
>>
>> There may be something to do with your using extract rather than
>> actual lemoncello, as the alcohol content can affect moisture- I say
>> this based on all those pie crust recipes that called for a slosh of
>> vodka. Even so, 2T of extract shouldn't make things too wet.
>>
>> Do you use commercial almond flour, or are you grinding the nuts
>> yourself?
>>
>
>Hi Boron, I haven't been draining the ricotta, but I tossed some from
>the current batch in a sieve and it's lost a little bit of water so far.
> I have used two almond flours; the first was more coarse, the last
>batch was finer (Costco brand); both are commercial.
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>Jon

Good luck. You've a few variables to play with, but I think a
well-drained ricotta (2-3 hours) will make a difference.

If you want a run experiment, try using farmer's cheese, which is
drier to begin with, but has a stronger flavor.

On 2/4/21 8:16 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
> On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:35:34 -0600, Jon Danniken >
> wrote:
>
>>> Hi Boron, I haven't been draining the ricotta, but I tossed some from
>> the current batch in a sieve and it's lost a little bit of water so far.
>> I have used two almond flours; the first was more coarse, the last
>> batch was finer (Costco brand); both are commercial.
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Jon
>
> Good luck. You've a few variables to play with, but I think a
> well-drained ricotta (2-3 hours) will make a difference.
>
> If you want a run experiment, try using farmer's cheese, which is
> drier to begin with, but has a stronger flavor.

Hey thanks Boron, I've gotten a couple of tablespoons off of the ricotta
in the last 1.5 hours, but this is a pretty wet batch. I'll plan on
draining them all in the future.

I've looked at a few recipes for farmer's cheese, but it looks like the
same way I have made my own ricotta in the past (heated milk plus
vinegar).

Jon

On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 08:57:12 -0600, Jon Danniken >
wrote:

>On 2/4/21 8:16 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
>> On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:35:34 -0600, Jon Danniken >
>> wrote:
>>
>>>> Hi Boron, I haven't been draining the ricotta, but I tossed some from
>>> the current batch in a sieve and it's lost a little bit of water so far.
>>> I have used two almond flours; the first was more coarse, the last
>>> batch was finer (Costco brand); both are commercial.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> Jon
>>
>> Good luck. You've a few variables to play with, but I think a
>> well-drained ricotta (2-3 hours) will make a difference.
>>
>> If you want a run experiment, try using farmer's cheese, which is
>> drier to begin with, but has a stronger flavor.
>
>Hey thanks Boron, I've gotten a couple of tablespoons off of the ricotta
>in the last 1.5 hours, but this is a pretty wet batch. I'll plan on
>draining them all in the future.
>
>I've looked at a few recipes for farmer's cheese, but it looks like the
>same way I have made my own ricotta in the past (heated milk plus
>vinegar).
>
>Jon
>

Oh! Home make ricotta~! Bravo. That is the way to do it.

On 2/4/2021 5:13 AM, Jon Danniken wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
> several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet. I just made
> one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
> (wetter than the previous attempts).
>
> Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
> for the lemoncello.
>
> So, what modifications should I try on the recipe? The three sources of
> water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.
>
> I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
> significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
> and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
> "larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>
> The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
> consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
> runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>
> So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
> Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>
> Thanks for your suggestions,
>
> Jon
>


did you see this in the recipe?

Cooks note: The moisture content of ricotta can vary greatly. If you
ricotta is really watery, just let it drain in a fine mesh strainer over
a bowl for a few hours in the fridge.

On 2/4/2021 8:48 AM, Taxed and Spent wrote:
> On 2/4/2021 5:13 AM, Jon Danniken wrote:
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
>> several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet.Â* I just made
>> one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
>> (wetter than the previous attempts).
>>
>> Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
>> for the lemoncello.
>>
>> So, what modifications should I try on the recipe?Â* The three sources of
>> water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.
>>
>> I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
>> significant source of water.Â* The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
>> and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
>> "larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>>
>> The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
>> consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
>> runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>>
>> So, what changes would you suggest I try?Â* Less ricotta?Â* Fewer eggs?
>> Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>>
>> Thanks for your suggestions,
>>
>> Jon
>>
>
>
> did you see this in the recipe?
>
> Cooks note: The moisture content of ricotta can vary greatly. If you
> ricotta is really watery, just let it drain in a fine mesh strainer over
> a bowl for a few hours in the fridge.
>
I think he was trying to avoid the word, moist.

--
--Bryan
For your safety and protection, this sig. has been thoroughly
tested on laboratory animals.

On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:13:09 -0600, Jon Danniken >
wrote:

>Hello all,
>
>I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
>several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet. I just made
>one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
>(wetter than the previous attempts).
>
>Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
>for the lemoncello.
>
>So, what modifications should I try on the recipe? The three sources of
>water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.
>
>I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
>significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
>and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
>"larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>
>The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
>consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
>runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>
>So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
>Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>
>Thanks for your suggestions,
>
>Jon

Your oven may be the fault, may not be properly vented for moisture to
escape. Use an oven thermometer or you'll have no idea of the actual
oven temperature... even modern ovens with temperature displays are
not necessarilly accurate. Also when the cake comes out of the oven
place it in a well ventilated place on a wire rack to cool to cut down
on condensation... may want to try using a small fan. Remove the cake
from the spring form as soon as it's cool enough to handle... loosen
the springform latch while still hot, more water will evaporate. As a
last resort perhaps you can borrow the use of someone's oven. I truly
suspect it's your oven... some line the bottom of their oven and wire
racks with aluminum foil to lessen clean up, a huge mistake, that
blocks the vent openings and prevents proper air circulation. If it's
a gas oven improper preheating becomes crucial, burning gas produces
water vapor.

You may want to try baking longer, these days everyone seems to like
underbaked. I don't bake by time, I consider time given on a recipe
only a rough guide, I judge doneness by sight/color and feel/touch. I
baked jumbo corn muffins recently, I needed to add 15 more minutes
baking time to the recipe... we despise raw baked goods, we like what
we call high brown, a Belizean baking term. Your recipe says the cake
is liable to fall, that's what typically occurs with underbaking. In
baking it's extremely rare to be something faulty with ingredients or
measurements, it's almost always the equipment and technique. Most
common it's something with the equipment... I'd like to have a dollar
for every time someone asked about a problem and they didn't own an
oven thermometer.

On Thu, 04 Feb 2021 14:01:14 -0500, Sheldon Martin >
wrote:

>You may want to try baking longer, these days everyone seems to like
>underbaked. I don't bake by time, I consider time given on a recipe
>only a rough guide, I judge doneness by sight/color and feel/touch. I
>baked jumbo corn muffins recently, I needed to add 15 more minutes
>baking time to the recipe... we despise raw baked goods, we like what
>we call high brown, a Belizean baking term.

LOL

Sheldon Martin wrote:
> On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:13:09 -0600, Jon Danniken >
> wrote:
>
>> Hello all,
>>
>> I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
>> several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet. I just made
>> one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
>> (wetter than the previous attempts).
>>
>> Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
>> for the lemoncello.
>>
>> So, what modifications should I try on the recipe? The three sources of
>> water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.
>>
>> I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
>> significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
>> and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
>> "larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>>
>> The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
>> consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
>> runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>>
>> So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
>> Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>>
>> Thanks for your suggestions,
>>
>> Jon
>
> Your oven may be the fault, may not be properly vented for moisture to
> escape. Use an oven thermometer or you'll have no idea of the actual
> oven temperature... even modern ovens with temperature displays are
> not necessarilly accurate. Also when the cake comes out of the oven
> place it in a well ventilated place on a wire rack to cool to cut down
> on condensation... may want to try using a small fan. Remove the cake
> from the spring form as soon as it's cool enough to handle... loosen
> the springform latch while still hot, more water will evaporate. As a
> last resort perhaps you can borrow the use of someone's oven. I truly
> suspect it's your oven... some line the bottom of their oven and wire
> racks with aluminum foil to lessen clean up, a huge mistake, that
> blocks the vent openings and prevents proper air circulation. If it's
> a gas oven improper preheating becomes crucial, burning gas produces
> water vapor.
>
> You may want to try baking longer, these days everyone seems to like
> underbaked. I don't bake by time, I consider time given on a recipe
> only a rough guide, I judge doneness by sight/color and feel/touch. I
> baked jumbo corn muffins recently, I needed to add 15 more minutes
> baking time to the recipe... we despise raw baked goods, we like what
> we call high brown, a Belizean baking term. Your recipe says the cake
> is liable to fall, that's what typically occurs with underbaking. In
> baking it's extremely rare to be something faulty with ingredients or
> measurements, it's almost always the equipment and technique. Most
> common it's something with the equipment... I'd like to have a dollar
> for every time someone asked about a problem and they didn't own an
> oven thermometer.
>

Yep Popeye, they need to learn about them high browns. And High
yaller ladies are nice too. Lots available in honduras, from coal
black to high yaller wimmens.

On Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 3:13:17 AM UTC-10, Jon Danniken wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I have made this cake (https://ouritaliantable.com/ricotta-almond-cake/)
> several times, and each time it turns out _way_ too wet. I just made
> one yesterday, and despite cooking it for 1:15, it was still way too wet
> (wetter than the previous attempts).
>
> Note: the only deviation from the recipe is using 2T of lemon extract
> for the lemoncello.
>
> So, what modifications should I try on the recipe? The three sources of
> water in the recipe are the butter, the ricotta, and the eggs.
>
> I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
> significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
> and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
> "larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>
> The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
> consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
> runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>
> So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
> Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>
> Thanks for your suggestions,
>
> Jon

Put that cheese in cheesecloth and squeeze the water out of it.

On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:13:09 -0600, Jon Danniken >
wrote:

>
>So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
>Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>
>Thanks for your suggestions,


Don't leave it in MacArthur Park out in the rain.

On 2/4/2021 8:26 PM, Bo Dacious wrote:
> On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:13:09 -0600, Jon Danniken >
> wrote:
>
>>
>> So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
>> Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>>
>> Thanks for your suggestions,
>
>
> Don't leave it in MacArthur Park out in the rain.
>
That song is so bad that it's good.

--
--Bryan
For your safety and protection, this sig. has been thoroughly
tested on laboratory animals.

On Thu, 4 Feb 2021 07:13:09 -0600, Jon Danniken >
wrote:


>I am using Costco unsalted butter, I don't know if that is going to be a
>significant source of water. The eggs I am using are also from Costo,
>and while they are described as "large" eggs, they tend to be on the
>"larger" size; maybe I should weigh my egg product more carefully?
>
>The ricotta I am using is full fat, and previous batches have seemed
>consistent with what I expect from ricotta, although the last batch was
>runnier than the others (as well as the resulting product).
>
>So, what changes would you suggest I try? Less ricotta? Fewer eggs?
>Adding more almond flour or adding some gluten-free flour to the mix?
>
>Thanks for your suggestions,

I bet your uncle Erich believes it was the space aliens.