Cottage cheese-nut cake

Light and soft perfection. Soft cheese, nuts, orange peel, apricot jam, chocolate. The most pleasant aromas and tastes are wonderfully combined in this wonderful dessert.

Ingredients

• Walnuts - 1 cup
• Butter, softened - 2/3 cup
• Sugar - 2/3 cup
• Eggs - 5 pcs.
• Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
• Ricotta cheese, fresh (or soft cottage cheese or cream cheese) - 2/3 cup
• Flour - 6 tbsp. l.
• Apricot jam - 4 tbsp. l.
• Brandy - 2 tbsp. l.
• Black chocolate, grated - 60 g

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees. Grease and line with parchment a mold with removable sides (22 cm).
2. Chop (not very finely) nuts. Lightly fry them in a dry frying pan (for a few minutes).
3. Beat butter and ½ cup sugar well. Add egg yolks, zest, ricotta (soft cottage cheese or cream cheese), flour and nuts. Stir.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Continue beating while adding the remaining sugar little by little. Stir 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the cheese mixture, then add the rest of the egg whites and mix gently.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes until the cake has risen and is firm. Cool it in shape.
6. Put the cake on a plate. Heat apricot jam in a saucepan with 1 tbsp. l. water. Strain the jam through a sieve, add the brandy and cover the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with grated chocolate.
7. Enjoy your meal!