Name: Louisa's Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 1/4 cups 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

Photo by James Ransom

Test Kitchen-Approved
Your Best Recipe with Fresh Ricotta Contest Winner

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 —Jennifer Wagner

Test Kitchen Notes

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 —The Editors

Watch This Recipe

Louisa's Cake

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
1 ¹/₄ cups 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

In This Recipe

Tools

Set a Timer

Directions

Heat the oven to 400° F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform 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 confectioners' sugar over the top or serve with your favorite seasonal fruit.

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Anastasija Trajkovska
Hannah
Stacie McKinnon
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MarZig

Review

Jennifer Wagner is a Creative Director and Graphic Designer with extensive experience in design and art direction for Brand Positioning, Identities, Advertising, and Editorial Design. Her love of storytelling, photography and illustration is intense and being on set or in the studio is where she feels most at home. She lives in Garrison, New York and working on a food + garden project TBA in Newburgh, New York.

Popular on Food52

434 Reviews

Mary J. July 20, 2020

Made this cake for the umpteenth time yesterday. Not a crumb left.

Laurelle July 20, 2020

Not surprised. Best cake ever!

Heather July 1, 2020

Absolutely my new favourite cake! Thanks!

Heather July 1, 2020

Absolutely my new favourite cake!

Anastasija T. June 27, 2020

This is one of the best cakes I and my family have tasted. I have done it many times since I discovered the recipe, so THANK YOU for making available. I have a question: is there a recipe for this cake but for vegans? I have a family member who is a vegan and I would really like to make this cake for him. Thank you!

Schweitzer June 10, 2020

I can't wait to try this recipe! It looks similar to an apple cream torte I make. A cream torte is a cross between a custard, cake and dutch baby or so the recipe states. https://www.sunset.com/recipe/apple-cream-torte. The torte I make is def an apple cake though because it calls from 3 to 4 apples, not one apple like Louisa's Cake. Again, can't wait to try making Louisa's Cake. Thank you!

Debra V. May 27, 2020

This cake is stunningly delicious.

susan May 27, 2020

Should refrigerate overnight if not eating until the next day? Thank you!

CHeeb May 27, 2020

One night no,but no doubt you won’t have to worry as there will be little left. I’ve kept smidges left for a day or two,but there is nothing in it requiring refrigeration after baking. It mellows and ages well!

susan June 27, 2020

Belated thank you for your reply!
I made the cake in a smaller springform and sliced horizontally to add a bourbon and vanilla whipping cream and pitted cherry filling. It was beautiful and heavenly! I also made it with the 9 inch springform a week later for a social distance get together. Both took a bit longer in the oven so I covered the top outer rim with foil to keep from browning. This is a perfect recipe - I'm craving now just writing about it! Thank you Food52!

susan June 27, 2020

I actually preferred it chilled. It was gone by the next afternoon!

Amy April 26, 2020

I've made this cake at least 10 times and it's lovely. I add a bit less sugar, lemon juice with the zest and cook it in an 8 inch springform pan. It takes longer to cook (about 45 minutes) but I like the taller cake. A favorite.

JoeyMattex May 20, 2020

Agreed. It’s a lovely, simple (In the best way) cake, but my oven needed a little more time.

roia March 14, 2020

This cake is delightful. It is perfectly versatile. I use it a lot as a base for strawberry "shortcake." It is best when served with a homemade whipped cream (even in the morning).

Susan M. February 13, 2020

I've made this cake many times. I use little chunks of apple, It's just wonderful. Everyone loves its.

Ceege April 10, 2020

I noticed that you used "little chunks of apple (and others in reviews used "pears", and other fruits").......do you add the fruit in the batter before baking or are you using it on top of cake. Please advise. They all sound delicious.

Hannah February 1, 2020

Made this with a pear the first time and OMG it was unreal. I made this a second time with apples and just as amazing.

Sassy January 14, 2020

I have only just found this recipe but don't think it will be long before I try it😉. I am trying to cut out gluten in my diet, although I am not coealic. I do play around with recipes for this reason and in cake baking I find ground almonds are a good sub and I will probably use half and half almonds and flour and wondering if anyone has tried similar? My only observation is that a tablespoon of baking powder seems like a lot, and wonder if this should be 1 tsp? I think 3 tsps = 1 tbsp and my guide is a tsp to 125 g flour approx. I hope to make this soon and get back with my result.

Stacie M. December 2, 2019

Quite possibly the best recipe on the internet. I top mine with raspberries and it's to absolute die for. Hard not to be ever so slightly smug when you serve it because you know you have brought a light, fuss-free Italian dessert to your stateside guests. You feel like you're walking out of a Maybelline commercial from the 90s placing it on the dinner table. Maybe she's born with it? Listen, I know I'm being so extra but this cake deserves it. Oh and make it two hours before serving and dust it w/ the sugar right before. Save yourself the drama of the undercooked center the other reviewers talk about. Countertop for two hours will cure it and you'll have a SLIGHT-ly soft and nearing custardy center. I said nearing. What else can I write? How many characters left?

Meghann T. November 29, 2019

Love this cake so, so much. Question— has anyone used almond flour vs regular? Or done a mix of the two?

C R. November 25, 2019

Great cake recipe to have in your back pocket. Not too sweet, yet sweet enough--and a honeycrisp apple gives it balance. It can be dressed up, or served plain...I just love it. This cake even freezes well in slices when wrapped well and placed in plastic freezer bags. My brother is a cake snob, and had no idea I served him a slice of frozen cake. I served it with gingered homegrown peach compote and bourbon vanilla ice cream--he was in heaven!
I've made it many times, and my personal favorite is with a mixture of lemon and orange zest, plus it worked great with my homemade ricotta even after I was froze (and thawed slowly in the fridge). NOTE: I do use some heavy cream and full fat buttermilk, that may be why my frozen ricotta worked.
Although this cake is denser and a little rich, it makes the best strawberries and cream layer cake--like a strawberry shortcake layer cake (or peaches, blueberries, raspberries work too).
Lastly, for those of you who live at high altitude...this recipe worked fine. I live at over 5,000 feet and the only adjustment I made is to increase the oven temp to 415F for the 1st 10 minutes, then for the rest of the time the temp down to 400F--baking time is a little shorter, but not much.

MarZig November 25, 2019

Thanks for sharing the variations....also I really appreciate your comments on Altitude. I have a cabin at 7000ft. Will use your suggestions!

Hannah February 1, 2020

Same altitude, I didn't change the temperature but I did leave it in longer with foil on top to prevent burning. Same custardy middle Stacie M described :)

Hattie S. October 30, 2019

Made this today. I used a bundt pan as another reviewer suggested, oven temp at 375, baked for 30 minutes. I used a medium Honeycrisp apple, juice and all. Turned out really moist and delicate.

MarZig September 17, 2019

Update, I made this cake for a Boy Scout Ceremony yesterday and doubled the recipe. It doubles very nicely. Baked it for the same recommended time using a aprox. 13.5 inch deep dish pizza pan. BTW, the boys really seem to enjoy this cake as well as the parents.

Laurelle September 17, 2019

This cake is wonderful. Perfect in its simplicity. I've made it twice now. Both times in a small, 6 cup Bundt pan (not that the springform version is bad, I just wanted to try out my new Bundt pan!). First time I made it as written. My husband loved it, said it was one of the best cakes he's ever had. I found it a little too sweet. Made it again, but swapped out the apple for ZUCCHINI! It was delicious! Not overly sweet, and still moist. I didn't squeeze the zucchini, but I did blot it on some paper towels before adding. Wonderful! Thanks for a great recipe!

MarZig September 16, 2019

This cake is a winner when ever I make it! Thank you to the author for sharing.

cosmiccook September 8, 2019

I made this last week, and despite it being left in the oven too long it still came out great. I'd like to try it w homemade ricotta next time.

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