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1
To make the hazelnut sponge, prepare a 9-inch (23-centimeter) cake tin by greasing with butter and dusting with flour. (If you're making this gluten-free, you can dust with potato starch.) Whip the sugar and eggs together until the mixture becomes very pale and fluffy and doubles or even triples in size. Fold in the hazelnut meal, flour, and butter until just incorporated.
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2
Pour into the prepared tin and bake at 350u00b0 F (180u00b0 C) for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until browned and springy on top (or you can do as in di Riso's original recipe, and divide the batter into 2 cake tins, each with a layer about 1/3-inch thick, and bake 10 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool.
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3
Drizzle enough olive oil to thinly cover the base of a small saucepan. Heat gently and add the diced pear, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and liqueur, if using. Stir occasionally until the pears begin to cook and release liquid. Continue stirring so that the pears don't burn and so that the sugar dissolves and the pears soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to another bowl to help them cool down. Let cool completely.
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4
Whip the ricotta and sugar together until very smooth and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream and then the cooled pears, along with some of their syrup. Save a couple of tablespoons of syrup to drizzle on the top and bottom layers of cake.
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5
To assemble the cake, it helps to have a cake ring handy, or if not, spring form cake tin (possibly the same one you used to make the sponge so that it is the exact size). Line with parchment paper.
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6
Slice the hazelnut sponge evenly and horizontally so you have two discs. Be gentle: It is a bit of crumbly cake. Place the bottom disc on a serving plate, cut side up. Place the springform cake tin (minus the base), greased and lined with parchment paper around the cake. Drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of pear syrup evenly over the sponge. Then pour over the ricotta mixture and smooth over with a spatula. Drizzle the rest of the reserved pear syrup over the cut side of the top layer of sponge and carefully place it on top of the ricotta filling, cut side down. Chill for several hours, or better, overnight.
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7
To serve, remove the cake ring or springform tin and cut carefully into slices with a sharp knife. If you like, you can dust the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar for decoration or place a few slices of poached pear on top.
