Louisa's Cake
Louisa's ingredients: ricotta, flour, butter, apple, lemon zest, sugar and eggs.
Flouring the pan.
Amanda looks skeptical. As a matter of fact, so does Merrill.
Nothing but smiles now. We're making cake!
This one starts with the classic butter and sugar combo.
3 eggs give it lift and richness.
Bowls, bowls everywhere!
Once you peel the apple, you'll want to grate and use it quickly -- it browns in an instant.
Back to Amanda, at the mixer -- she adds the flour, salt and baking powder (missing from the ingredient shot).
Amanda dangles the ricotta precariously.
A gentle touch is important at the end.
The batter is light and beautiful.
The cake almost looks like a frittata when it emerges from the oven.
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Author Notes: Louisa is a family friend, gardener and chef from Castellina in Chianti, Italy where we gather several times a year. She cooks everything from memory and threw this together one night last Spring. When we pressed her for the recipe she hastily rattled some ingredients off and we scrambled to write it all down on a napkin. Along with my husband and children we've tested this cake about 6 times and friends are constantly asking for the recipe. -SML Office - SML Office
Food52 Review: Only a true Italian nonna could produce something this ethereal with such a simple list of ingredients. SML Office got the recipe for this cake from a family friend in Chianti (Louisa), and to us it's the epitome of a classic Italian dessert. It's airy and light, but not without integrity: ricotta, eggs and plenty of butter give it richness, grated apple lends heft, and lemon zest rescues it from being at all bland. The cake is gently sweetened, and thus equally suited to breakfast and dessert. We think it would be great with something tangy and fresh, like a fruit compote -- and rhubarb season is coming up! - A&M - A&M
Serves 6
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup fresh ricotta
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 apple, peeled and grated (should yield about 1 cup)
- Confectioners' sugar for serving
- Heat the oven to 400˚. Butter and flour a 9 or 10-inch spring form pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer until light and fluffy.
- On the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time.
- Slowly add the flour, salt, ricotta, lemon zest, baking powder and apple.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the sides start to pull away from the pan.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and cool completely on the rack. Sift powder sugar over top or serve with your favorite seasonal fruit.
- Your Best Recipe with Fresh Ricotta Contest Winner!
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17 days ago white bird
This cake is amazing and a definite crowd pleaser. I use a regular 9 inch round pan because I don't have a springform pan and it works fine. It is great as is, but I also tried it with a light lemon glaze which was awsome.
23 days ago Nomnomnom
This is a wondeful cake and simple to make. I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. Thank you!
23 days ago thecuriousone
My grandmothers name is Louisa. I baked this in her honor when my thoughts were on her. many of my most treasured memories are of her and I in the kitchen. She always wanted to go to Europe, but would not go when I offered to take her. I bake it in her honor although I suspect she would not find it sweet enough. It reminds me of her when I bake it, coquettishly sweet, light... and so much more than the sum of its ingredients. Thank you for a recipe that allows me to honor her.
about 1 month ago lfree
This is without a doubt the best cake ever. I made it gluten free, using ncy's directions (thanks for that!) and added a simple glaze made of juice from the 1 zested lemon and powdered sugar. Topped with fresh raspberries.
about 1 month ago Kabocha
I've made this cake twice in the last couple of days.. First time to the letter, tonight I added orange zest to the mix and it's amazing!
about 1 month ago Peggy Shryne
Looks and sounds delicious from everyone's comments. I did have a problem with the baking time though. Checked it at 25 mins and let it stay in an additional 5 mins, cake was browned on top and pulling from edges of pan. Cooled on a rack for 10 mins, and when I inverted the cake to cool more, wet batter oozed out of the top!
It's now back in the oven (350) until the top feels done. I must say, it looks and smells delicious! I do have an extra thermometer in the oven to make sure the temp is correct. Anyone else run into this problem? I feel that I must a have done something wrong according to everyone else's results!
about 1 month ago Renee B
We didn't. Perhaps it's the rack location? I don't know which rack my husband used but suspect it was the middle. Or, maybe your pan was too small--therefore, too deep?
17 days ago white bird
I did! I had to do the same thing. I think it's best to keep it in until the center doesn't jiggle anymore
2 months ago Cindy Cassidy
this is a gorgeous, GORGEOUS cake
3 months ago AmandaSallyRose
Made this for our annual family ski trip. It was a huge success!!! Everyone absolutely loved it. Thank you.
3 months ago Lulu K
Best cake ever! Delicious!
3 months ago Guinevere
I made this for my birthday party this weekend, scaled the butter back to a single stick, added seeds scraped from a whole vanilla bean, and subbed full-fat Greek yogurt for the apple. A very simple, delicious, and light cake. I served with David Lebovitz's Chocolate Sorbet. My entire family loved it.
2 months ago nolu
Subbed yogurt for apple? I'm wondering, do you mean for the ricotta?
4 months ago Renee B
My husband and I were invited to a dinner party for which we were to bring dessert. We decided to bring two—neither of which we'd made before. I made a showy French apple tart and my husband made Louisa's cake. Louisa's cake stole the show at a dinner party. It's subtle lemon flavor and wonderful, moist texture were a delicious end to a very nice dinner.
7 months ago Alesig
What a lovely and heavenly cake! I made it yesterday for dessert and it was just awsome!
7 months ago sstalnaker
Made this today, but didn't have a lemon on hand, and I was short of white sugar. So, I substituted half brown sugar, and in place of the lemon I grated some sweet young ginger that I bought at the local farmers' market. It was divine. Moist, light yet substantial, and the ginger and brown sugar made for a flavor with a bit of "je ne sait quoit".
8 months ago Lorrainesfav
SML: Great simple Italian recipe! I made this recipe into cupcakes and they were perfect with a dab of local strawberry jam my neighbor gave us.
9 months ago TheWimpyVegetarian
Just came out of the oven and it smells soooooo good. We have guests coming to dinner and I'm trying to justify why I should have a piece now instead of waiting :-)
10 months ago lurline
I baked this cake yesterday on my day off. It was the best I've ever bake and tasted !
Light and tasty!
It will be in my list of " Favs"
about 1 year ago ncy
I made this cake GF thanks to the input from the Hotline and it was as wonderful as the original recipe. My family continually requests this cake. It's yummy, quick and easy.
3 months ago lerosbif
Can you tell us how you made it gluten free? Thanks!
3 months ago ncy
In place of APF I use 2oz. white rice flour, 1 3/4 oz tapioca flour, and 1 3/4 oz. sweet rice flour. The GF version is great and receives many complements.
3 months ago lerosbif
Thank you so much, I'll give it a try!
about 1 year ago hurleyburley
I just made this tonight and it was so delicious and easy. Only problem is that the middle wasn't completely done but I was scared to cook it any longer because the sides and bottom were slightly overcooked. Might try to cook it in a water bath next time like a flan or a cheesecake.
about 1 year ago Elethea
Should fresh ricotta be drained a bit first please?
about 1 year ago ChicaChewing
My boyfriend has loved it