American

Black and Blueberry Ricotta Cake

May  2, 2023
5
4 Ratings
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • makes one 8x8-inch cake
Author Notes

This deceptively simple ricotta cake is perfectly light and fluffy, and it couldn’t be easier to make. Here, I’ve folded in a combination of sweet and tart blueberries and blackberries, but just about any other fruit or even a bit of chocolate would work beautifully.

Reprinted with permission from Snacking Cakes by Yossy Arefi, copyright © 2020. Photographs by Yossy Arefi. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. —Yossy Arefi

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta
  • 1/2 cup neutral oil, like grapeseed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups mixed blackberries and blueberries
Directions
  1. Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter or coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the edges.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk 3/4 cup (150g) of the sugar and the eggs until pale and foamy, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta, oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth and emulsified.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and stir until well-combined and smooth, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to fold in 1 cup (160g) of the berries, reserving the remaining berries to sprinkle over the top.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and smooth the top of the batter with an offset spatula. Scatter the reserved 1/2 cup (80g) berries over the top and sprinkle with the remaining 2 teaspoons sugar.
  5. Bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan and set it on the rack to cool completely. (Store the cake, wrapped tightly, at room temperature or in the fridge, for up to three days.)

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Suzanne Rosen
    Suzanne Rosen
  • Adrianne Edwards
    Adrianne Edwards
  • momyopro5
    momyopro5
  • Floras Daughter
    Floras Daughter
Yossy Arefi is a photographer and stylist with a passion for food. During her stint working in restaurant kitchens, Yossy started the blog Apt. 2B Baking Co. where, with her trusty Pentax film camera, she photographs and writes about seasonal desserts and preserves. She currently lives in Brooklyn but will always love her native city of Seattle. Follow her work at apt2bbakingco.blogspot.com & yossyarefi.com.

4 Reviews

momyopro5 July 10, 2023
Made this straighforward cake this morning exactly as written, and it surpasses many others in its taste and simplicity! Like Floras, I will be making this for get-togethers - it is absolutely pleasing to the palate! Thank you Ms. Arefi for sharing!
 
Suzanne R. June 30, 2023
Would love to have grams for dry ingredients.
 
Adrianne E. June 30, 2023
Nice and easy cake. Moist, soft and delicious. However, I think I may add 1cup of sugar instead of the 3/4 cup. My sweet tooth wanted a tad more.
 
Floras D. June 26, 2023
Absolutely amazing! Delicious, SUPER easy and quick to make and my family loved it. Extremely moist and flavoursome. I love it with a little pouring cream. I think this is a great cake to make to bring along to a party or when visiting friends. Thank you Food52!