ricotta everyday cake
For some reason, whenever we use ricotta around here, it always seems we have a little leftover. Rarely is the whole container completely used up. But, happily, this phenomenon led me to this recipe which is so tasty, I buy ricotta now just to bake it up.
The texture is dense and creamy, and serves as perfect base for nearly any fruit that is in the house. On the less sweet side, it is perfect for whipping up on an ordinary day, but can be dressed up with whipped cream for more special occasions. We’ve enjoyed it as dessert, with coffee for breakfast, and also as a snack throughout the day. It is so tasty — it is hard to resist when sitting on the counter.
I’ll offer the basic recipe, but please vary as you wish! It is a very forgiving recipe and every variation I have tried has been a hit. To help you get started, I’ll offer three recent variations. In two of them, I swap in something else for part of the ricotta, in case you run short of the full amount or want to adapt it further.
Everyday ricotta cake
Makes one 9inch circle cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar (can increase to 1 cup for a sweeter cake, or if your fruit is especially tart, but I never do)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup ricotta
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 stick salted butter, melted
About 1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit (chopped into bite side pieces if needed), divided
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9in cake pan (any will do, but spring-form is slightly easier) and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add to dry ingredients and fold the batter until thoroughly mixed.
Fold in butter until fully incorporated, followed by 3/4 of the fruit. If your fruit is tender, take care not to crush it.
Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth out the top, then scatter the remaining fruit on top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until nicely bronzed, the center springs back when gently pressed, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Then allow to cool completely on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy!
Variations:
Berry Medley: Add the zest of one lemon to the dry ingredients. Use a mixture of berries for the fruit (I used a frozen mix of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries). It was a popular flavor!
Bitter Tangerine Goat: Swap in 1/2 cup of goat cheese for an equal part of the ricotta and use chopped tangerines for the fruit. The goat cheese adds a lovely depth to the cake, preserves the rich creaminess, and isn’t overwhelming. It’s flavor is just barely perceptible which contrasts nicely with the citrus. You could easily add more if you want a more dominant flavor. Chopped tangerines (and oranges in general) get bitter when baked, their membranes packing a punch like a grapefruit (even while their insides remain sweet and juicy). My husband loves the bitterness, but it isn’t for everyone.
Almond Apple: Swap in 3/4 cup sour cream for an equal part of the ricotta, add 1/2 tsp almond extract to the wet ingredients (more if you want a pronounced flavor), and use peeled and chopped apples for the fruit. Cut the apple pieces small to ensure they cook through. The sour cream (and larger substitution of it) made the cake slightly less creamy than the full ricotta version, but the difference was small. This cake also improved as it sat, increasing in flavor and becoming more moist and dense in texture the following day.
Adapted from this recipe.
