White Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Strawberries and Lemon Ricotta

steps

Macerated Strawberries

1. Trim greens off of washed strawberries, then quarter berries lengthwise.
2. Toss all ingredients together and allow to sit for 30 minutes.

Homemade Lemon Ricotta

1. Combine zest and juice and allow to sit for a few minutes, then strain the zest from the
2. Dissolve the salt into the lemon
3. Combine the milk and cream together in a large saucepot, then add the lemon and salt DO NOT STIR. 
4. Heat on medium-low heat just until it starts to simmer, then remove pan from heat. Allow to sit until it reaches room temperature, around 80 degrees. If the curds have not fully formed, then add an extra tablespoon of lemon juice and stir very
5. Using a ladle, gently transfer the milk mixture into a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a container, being careful not to break up the curds too much. Allow to drain for 1 hour, then check consistency. If it drains for too long and becomes thick, simply add some of the whey from the container back to the cheese and stir well to combine. Reserve whey for later

White Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt together. Set
3. Melt white chocolate on low setting in microwave for 15−30 seconds until soft. Set
4. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1½ cups of sugar together for 5
5. Spoon a few tablespoons of the creamed butter and sugar mixture into the melted chocolate and stir to
6. Add the white chocolate mixture back to the creamed butter and sugar and mix
7. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the egg yolks (reserving the egg whites), one at a time, then vanilla. Then alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk, starting and ending with
8. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until frothy, then slowly add ¼ cup sugar, whisking all the while, until meringue is stiff. Fold the meringue mixture into dry ingredients in 3 parts until incorporated.
9. Transfer the cake batter into a greased 9 × 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 18−20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before removing fromServe with macerated strawberries and a spoonful of homemade lemon ricotta.