Migliaccio (Italian semolina and ricotta cake)

Ingredients

• Milk 600 ml  
• Water 600 ml  
• Lemon zest from 1 ½ lemons  
• Orange zest from 1 ½ oranges  
• Butter 50 g  
• Semolina 250 g  
• Eggs 5  
• Sugar 300 g  
• Ricotta 350 g  
• Vanillin 1 ½ sachets

Method

• To prepare the migliaccio, heat the milk and water in a saucepan with the lemon and orange zest, without bringing it to a boil.
• Add the butter and stir, then remove the citrus peels.
• Gradually pour in the semolina, stirring with a whisk until the mixture thickens.
• Pour the mixture into a baking dish and let it cool.
• In a bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar, whisking until the mixture becomes fluffy and airy.
• Add the sieved ricotta, the vanillin, and continue whisking until the ingredients are well combined into a smooth mixture.
• Incorporate the semolina cream into the egg mixture and blend everything together.
• Grease a 26 cm baking pan with butter and line it with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan and level the surface with a spatula.
• Bake in a static oven at 200°C (392°F) for one hour. Remove the migliaccio from the oven when the surface is golden brown and let it cool for at least two hours before slicing.
• Decorate with powdered sugar.  

If desired, you can enrich the migliaccio with candied fruit or raisins. To add fragrance to the batter, you can use spices like cinnamon or a splash of limoncello or orange liqueur.  

Tip: for a stronger flavor, you can substitute cow’s milk ricotta with sheep’s milk ricotta. However, you can also make migliaccio without ricotta, which is added primarily to enhance the cake’s creaminess.