Lights off; Candles lit; wax dripping on a 3d printed picture of you thats plaster on a grocery store sheet cake; everyone enthusiastically singing “happy birthday” as you spit/ blow out the candles. Those were the “good old days” where the only thing that mattered was getting the biggest slice of chocolate cake before everyone else. It was my birthday recently, and I decided to make a cake for yes-myself. A last minute endeavor, with only a few leftover ingredients to concoct a cake for my distinguished twenty fourth birthday. It was the morning of; alone, having a mid 20’s crisis, I decided to bake my worries away. Peaches from the farmers market lay dormant next to the espresso maker, and a half used container of ricotta waits patiently in the fridge for a second life.“ Bakers Block” hit me. I couldn't think of a thing to make. After a few minutes of opening and closing the fridge, and scrolling through instagram for “inspiration”, I decided to put a spin on a tradition Italian lemon ricotta cake. The ricotta gives this cake a dense moist crumb with a bit of tang that is balanced out with the sweetness of the peaches and lemon. Just a touch of sweetness is added by the dusting of powdered sugar overtop. An almost custard-like texture that coats your pallet that not even your fork can stay away from. Peach Ricotta Cake TIME: 45 mins. YEILD: 1 10 inch cake pan Temp: 400F Ingredients: 4 ½ oz. unsalted butter 7.2 oz. granulated sugar 3 ea. whole eggs 5.7 oz. all purpose flour 1 tablespoons baking powder ⅛ teaspoons (Pinch) salt 9 oz. whole milk ricotta 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract 7 oz. (roughly 3 ea) peaches, small diced 1. Heat the oven to 400° F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. 2. Cream the sugar and butter in a standing mixer until light in color and fluffy. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Then add the ricotta, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, until completely incorporated. 3. Whisk together baking powder, flour and salt. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the bater in 1/3rds. Fold in diced peaches. 4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cake is golden brown and the sides start to pull away from the pan. Once finished baking let cake cool in the pan. Turn the cake out of the pan and cool completely on the rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar and enjoy.