Christmas

Louisa's Cake

by:
May  2, 2021
4.3
142 Ratings
Louisa's Cake
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 6
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

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Louisa's Cake
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
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 400° F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar in a standing mixer until light and fluffy.
  3. On the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time.
  4. Slowly add the flour, salt, ricotta, lemon zest, baking powder, and apple.
  5. 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.
  6. 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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Jennifer Wagner
Jennifer Wagner is a creative director and graphic designer who loves traveling, cooking and gardening She lives in Garrison, NY

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509 Reviews

Arham12
Arham12 October 6, 2024
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Margret
Margret October 1, 2024
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Elena_B
Elena_B June 21, 2024
Hi all, i have done this cake numerous times but only once i managed to get to the structure similar to the recipe picture. All other times unfortunately cake comes out way too dense and moist almost like a flan. I have tried with different ricotta types and different oven temperatures, but alas still cant make it work. If anyone managed to overcome this, i would be so happy to know how, because the taste is great but the texture is nothing like the photo :(
 
cosmiccook
cosmiccook June 21, 2024
I read (Serious Eats, maybe?) that subbing cottage cheese for Ricotta is a wonderful idea. Good Culture Cottage cheese makes a DOUBLE CREAM ( I know, expensive) I'm itching to use in lieu of Ricotta. This might be the perfect recipe for an experiment. I would ONLY use the Good Culture brand.
 
doramasm4
doramasm4 August 10, 2024
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Manzar K.
Manzar K. June 18, 2024
I've baked this cake countless times; it's become almost second nature, just like how Italian Nonna Louisa would make it! It's my go-to for hosting friends at home or bringing a comforting treat to those who need it most—everyone adores it. Though I misplaced my recipe recently, I recalled its origin: Food 52, one of my beloved websites for discovering amazing recipes! Vidmate app has quickly become my go-to companion for video exploration.
 
Anja
Anja May 5, 2024
What a wonderful and simple recipe. This cake may not look fancy or glamorous cake but I can see myself eating this at a little cafe or restaurant in the countryside of Italy or Spain. The apples and ricotta make this a moist cake, I also sprinkled slivered almonds on the top, and I already know this recipe is a keeper. The cake came together in no time. I used a gluten free flour blend and baked it for 45 minutes. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
 
saralee1672
saralee1672 March 7, 2024
Thank you for sharing such wonderful and relevant information on your blog.
dordle
 
jacky A.
jacky A. March 6, 2024
Absolutely loved trying out the new recipe from this site! The flavors were exquisite, and the presentation was a delight. I even served it with my beautiful jug and glass set, adding an extra touch of elegance to the dining experience. The step-by-step instructions were clear and easy to follow, making the dish a breeze to prepare. For the best acrylic glassware, I highly recommend visiting this site https://homentable.com/collections/acrylic-glassware . Can't wait to explore more recipes here and showcase them in my lovely dining collection. Thank you for such a wonderful culinary adventure
 
poppy12
poppy12 February 29, 2024
You can try all you want to play dordle, but the information provided is current and useful. Very engrossing!
 
Kristina M.
Kristina M. January 12, 2024
Fantastic! Made these into blueberry “muffins”, 325’F for 30 min. ( I only had 2 eggs, I will try with 3 soon)
 
carol
carol September 26, 2023
I have made this cake so many times I feel like I can make it from memory as the Italian Nonna, Louisa does! I make it for friends that come over to my house, for meals that I take to friends in need; everyone loves it! I lost my recipe recently, but thankfully I remembered where I originally found this wonderful recipe...one of my favorite websites....Food 52!
 
woodenmask
woodenmask July 16, 2023
Sugar=218 grams
AP Flour=150 grams
Ricotta=247 grams
 
Rachel P.
Rachel P. June 25, 2023
I continue to love this recipe after many years of making this cake. It always receives rave reviews and never disappoints! Served it this past Friday and Saturday with fresh strawberry sauce and whipped cream.
 
Smaug
Smaug June 19, 2023
This was quite good- the flavor really does seem to be greater than the sum of the parts. Almost made it all the way without altering the recipe; at the last minute broke down and added some nutmeg (and I'd do it again). I skipped the confectioner's sugar. Also, I'd recommend sifting together the flour and baking powder before adding. It's pretty sweet, but not cloying. Easy and, even with the current wildly inflated prices on sugar, flour and ricotta, inexpensive. I made 1/2 the recipe in a 6 3/4" springform.
 
Nancy C.
Nancy C. February 22, 2023
Good and easy. I've made it a few times for guests, served with berries and/or whipped cream, and the leftovers freeze nicely. But I find the flavor to be a bit too "egg-y." Maybe the fact that I cut down a little on sugar affects the overall flavor that would otherwise be covered up by sweetness.
 
acroft
acroft September 8, 2022
I make this all the time! Perfect simple cake and makes a good snack
 
P.w.p
P.w.p August 28, 2022
I’ve made this 2x before and cut the sugar as I usually find most desserts too sweet and I loved my family loved it. This time, however, did the same and I found this excessively sweet somehow. Didn’t have lemon so I used orange zest as it was what was available. And, my batter was too wet (toothpick came out clean) n the outside almost burnt. I even covered the top w foil for the last 15”. It almost took 39” but apparently wasn’t cooked enough still. It is a different oven so I’m wondering if this was 1 of the issues.
 
Patrizia
Patrizia October 18, 2022
stesso identico problema, l'ho fatta più volte con la speranza di riuscire cosi' come si vede dal video ma niente, troppo alto forse la temperatura del forno e poi bisognerebbe sapere se è statico o ventilato o anche dove posizionare la teglia...molto buona di sapore, ho messo metà zucchero rispetto alla ricetta e comunque sempre dolce è, impasto troppo fluido, forse necessita di più farina oppure è diversa la qualità della ricotta. La voglio rifare ancora ma personalizzarla, aggiustando le dosi degli ingredienti.
 
Judi L.
Judi L. May 18, 2022
Perfect cake
 
Jami
Jami March 3, 2022
This is a stunning cake. Moist, flavorful, comforting, and just the right amount of sweetness. Brava!