It has been nearly a year since we waved ELLE columnist Ruby Tandoh goodbye after she was named runner-up on Great British Bake Off, but don't worry, she's back with a bang. Her brilliant new baking book, Crumb, is out today, and to celebrate, we bring you one of ELLE's favourite recipes from it.

Not only that, but to celebrate her first book, she will be talking croissants, custard doughnuts and cupcakes with ELLE Editor-in-Chief Lorraine Candy 7 October from 6.30pm at the gorgeous newly-opened desert and cocktail bar, Basement Sate, in London's Soho.

Tickets are just £30 and include a signed copy of Crumb (available to collect on the evening) in an exclusive goodie bag with a Cath Kidston gift worth £12, a Baileys cocktail, sweet canapés and a one-year subscription to ELLE. Tickets are very limited, so book now!

Blackberry Ricotta Cheesecake

I love the swirls of deep purple berries against this creamy cheesecake. Ricotta gives a less smooth texture than the heavier cream cheese, but the taste is cleaner, allowing the fruit to really shine.

Serves 8-10

For the base:
150g digestive biscuits
75g unsalted butter

For the blackberry swirl:
150g blackberries
2 tablespoons caster sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon cornflour, optional

For the filling:
500g ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons cornflour
150ml double cream
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs, plus 1 large yolk
Zest of 1 lemon
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas mark 4.

Crush the biscuits with a rolling pin or blitz them in a food processor, until sandy. Melt the butter over a low heat then combine with the biscuit rubble in a large bowl, mixing to combine. The crumbs need to be moist enough that they’ll hold in clumps if squeezed together, so add extra butter at this point if necessary.

Spread the biscuit mixture over the base of the tin and press down firmly all over. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then take out, leave to cool slightly and reduce the oven temperature to 120°C/fan 100°C/gas mark 1/2

In a small pan, heat the blackberries, sugar and lemon juice over a low heat until the blackberries are beginning to soften. Crush with the back of a fork until no whole blackberries remain, then set aside to cool. If the blackberries release a lot of juice, add one teaspoon of cornflour while the pan’s still on heat and stir for a further minute or two, until thickened.

Beat the ricotta and cornflour in a large bowl until smooth then stir in the cream. Once combined, incorporate the sugar, followed by the eggs and yolk (one at a time), lemon zest and vanilla extract.

Pout the filling onto the baked biscuit base. Dollop spoonfuls of the blackberries into the cheesecake and gently swirl through using a spoon. Bake for 13/4- 2 hours, or until the cheesecake has no more than a slight wobble at its centre. The cooked cheesecake should be quite firm all over, except for the blackberry swirls, by now slightly sunken, jammy and a deep purple colour.

Leave the cheesecake to cool completely in its tin before attempting to unmould it. Then, for a firmer texture, chill in the fridge for a while before serving.