ricotta cake {august 12, 2022}

A cake that can be eaten any time of the day.

Breakfast. Afternoon snack. Dessert after dinner.

As the seasons change, so does the fruit used to top it. I've used strawberries, blueberries, peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries (pitting them is a little tedious) grapes, clementines. 

And it's good. All the time.

The other day, I made three mini cakes. My son was coming over for dinner, I wanted to serve dessert, I had a handful of strawberries and blueberries, and I didn't want to go to the grocery store. I thought about this cake and knew that all the ingredients were in the house for half the recipe. Reading the recipe, gathering the ingredients, I realized that I didn't have a lemon or orange to zest. The citrus zest really compliments the fruit and the buttery richness in the cake. I thought about going without, emptied my veggie bins just to make sure a lemon or orange wasn't hiding under something (no luck), and then Lady Luck smiled. Fiori di Sicilia. "Flowers of Sicily." Citrusy with a hint of vanilla. Perfect substitute.

Strawberry and Ricotta Cake

1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

1 c. sugar

3 large eggs

1 c. whole milk ricotta

2 T. plain Greek yogurt

grated lemon zest from one lemon (I used orange zest)

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

12-14 large strawberries, stems removed and cut in half

2 T light brown granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in.

Next add the ricotta and yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest, and mix well.

Mix the dry ingredients together, add them to the wet mixture, folding them in until mixed. Don’t over beat.

Pour the batter into the buttered spring form pan and level it out with a spoon. Place the strawberries on top of the batter, cut side up, pressing them in a bit. Sprinkle the cake with the sugar and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool, remove from pan, and serve with whipped cream.