Last week, we found ourselves with a Friday solemnity to celebrate, and a half tub of ricotta cheese to use up. A quick Google search led me to a Bon Appetit recipe for Raspberry Ricotta Cake. We didn’t have frozen raspberries, but I did have a container of blackberries and some cherries in the freezer. I made a few tweaks to the recipe, and the result was a solid home run (high praise from us, when it comes to cake).
It’s a sturdy cake, and I think it would hold up well in layers (if my geometry skills are still working, one 9″ cake is roughly equal to two 6″ layers). I’m also pretty certain that it would freeze very well; in any case, ours was better than ever after a few days in the fridge. It was a snap to mix up, and we’ll definitely be making it again!
Blackberry Ricotta Cake
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh berries or cherries (if using cherries, cut in half), divided
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9”-diameter cake pan or pie pan. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs, ricotta, and vanilla in a separate bowl until smooth; fold into dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in butter, followed by 1 1/4 cup of berries, taking care not to crush them. Scrape batter into prepared pan and scatter remaining 1/4 cup berries over top.
Bake cake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–60 minutes. Let cool before unmolding. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream (a cup of tea pairs well, too). Stores well in the refrigerator.
Pilgrims in an Unholy Land 