This super light cheese cake has a sponge base and top and has a creamy filling with just a hint of ricotta. It makes a great little dessert after a heavy meal and goes well served with a few seasonal berries such as blackberries, cherries or strawberries, soaked in a little cherry brandy (marsaka).

Croatian Citrus Ricotta Cake
Ingredients (Makes 16 squares)
3 large eggs, separated
175g / 6oz plain flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
Icing sugar, sifted, for dredging
Lemon rind to decorate
For the filling
500g ricotta cheese
100 ml double cream lightly whipped
25g / 2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius / Gas Mark 5
Grease two tins 30 x 20 cm
Whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is pale and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted
Fold the hot water into the egg yolks
Add the flour and baking powder
Lightly whisk the egg whites, then fold into egg yolks
Divide the mixture evenly into the two tins
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to touch
Turn out and cool on wire racks
Make the filling by beating the ricotta cheese in a bowl
Stir in the cream, caster sugar and lemon juice
Spread the filling on top of the base sponge
Top with the remaining spong half
Press down lightly on the top layer
Chill the cake for 3 to 4 hours
Just before serving dredge with a little icing sugar
Decorate with lemon rind

Cut into 16 squares & serve!
Your method mentions caster sugar and hot water in the sponge, but the ingredients do not mention them. So I don’t know how much caster sugar and hot water should go into the sponge mixture :(
Hi Adriana, thanks for commenting, you appear to be correct! I will try to find my original notes on this and add it in.