I’m not usually a very fancy baker. When making desserts I definitely tend towards the rustic. A jam-filled crostata is my go to dessert, especially when I’m having people over here in Umbria. But when I wrote The Italian Table I realized I would have to include at least a few desserts that were out of my comfort zone.
One of my favorite recipes from the book is the fruit-topped cake that I had over and over again at Masseria Potenti in Puglia. The version in the book is topped with figs and is (in my opinion) the perfect cake all day long. At Masseria Potenti they put it out as part of the breakfast buffet (because in Italy cake for breakfast is a totally normal thing). But I love it in the afternoon with a cup of espresso, and for dessert after dinner with whipped cream or gelato.
The version in my book calls for just a bit of milk in the batter, but I also love a richer version of this cake from Ina Garten, that calls for a full cup of ricotta. And since I happened to have ricotta on hand this week, I went for Ina’s version.
And since we are nowhere near fig season I dove into the pints of strawberries Sophie has picked up at this week’s market and I have to say that I think I like this version even better than the fig one
Strawberry and Ricotta Cake
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 8
This recipe is based on one by Ina Garten. While hers calls for figs, I used strawberries. Any juicy soft fruit will do: plums, peaches or even kiwis.
Ingredients
- 1¼ sticks/ 140 gr unsalted butter, at room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta
- 2 tablespoons whole fat plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- grated lemon zest (from one lemon)
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12-14 large strawberries, stem removed and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons light brown granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/ 180C.
- Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan
- If you have a stand mixer it makes things easier.
- Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in.
- Next add the ricotta and the yogurt, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well.
- Mix the dry ingredients together, then add them to the wet mixture, just folding them in until mixed. Don’t over beat.
- Pour the dough into buttered cake tin, 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.
- Let cool, remove from pan and serve with whipped cream or creme fraiche.
This recipe is adapted from one by Ina Garten.Â
If you don’t have any ricotta, there is a similar recipe in my book The Italian Table, which uses milk instead. You can find that recipe here.
Just made this … had all the right ingredients but took much longer … Ina’s is baked at 375not 350 but still beautiful! Can’t wait to deliver to a friend this afternoon in sunny Berkeley.
Everyone’s oven is different, especially for baking. Glad yours worked out!
In fact everyone’s oven is different, and so cooking times vary. Glad yours worked out!
Thanks Karen!
I just put mine in the oven — so excited to see how it comes out as it smells amazing. Just a note that the recipe above lists vanilla and lemon zest, but the directions do not mention when to add. I assumed after the ricotta/yogurt. Thanks!
yes, that’s right, and thank you I just updated the recipe to include the missing instructions!
Hi, I’m in love with this cake! Simple and DELICIOUS! One comment, the lemon zest and vanilla are not listed in the steps. I added after the ricotta and yoghurt. Just letting you know in case you want to amend the instructions. This is a winner! Thank you!
Thanks, I just fixed the recipe
Ciao from London! I just baked this last night with the 1st crop of English strawberries from the market. Soooo good! In fact, it’s so good that I’m having a piece for breakfast with my coffee. Grazie! 🙂
Happy to hear this!! Enjoy!
My strawberries disappeared into the cake while baking, but it was still absolutely delicious!
Yes, that’s happened with a few other people’s cakes. Not sure why. Maybe from over beating the batter?
My batter looked a little separated before adding flour but I added flour and mixed by hand. Tasted delicious but sad my berries sunk
I have heard that a way to stop fruit sinking is to dust with flour before adding to the batter.
In this case I think it is because the ricotta is too wet.
Me too!!!
I also have disappearing strawberries and I know I didn’t over beat it. I’m guessing maybe the strawberries were too wet? It’s been in the oven for 40 minutes but it’s not done so I’m giving it another 5. It smells amazing!
Mmm…hard to say. The batter should be very stiff, not wet. Maybe it has to do with the ricotta being too wet? But as long as it tastes good, I wouldn’t worry too much. 😉
Hello, I have slightly less than one cup of ricotta, maybe about 3/4 cup. Can I add a little bit of something else to make up for the not enough ricotta?
Absolutely! I added some marscapone the other day, and you can sub in yogurt or even a bit of cream cheese.
I’m not a baker but gave this a go and it turned out perfectly! It did take a few more minutes that directed, but that’s to be expected with the variance in ovens.
This has become my go-to summer cake! It’s so easy, I always have the ingredients and virtually any summer fruit works! Yesterday I whipped one up spontaneously to bring to a friend. It’s so elegant and delicious. Thank you! And Ina too!
My strawberries sunk in as well. It was still delicious though! I only had 1/2 cup ricotta, so I substituted with 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese and 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt. Turned out great. I wasn’t sure where the brown sugar came into play, so I just left it out. I sprinkled the top with Sugar in the Raw for some extra texture. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I wondered the same thing so I just sprinkled it on top (wasn’t sure if that’s the sugar the recipe was referring to). It’s in the oven now 🤞
What a perfect little cake! I wish I could download a photo. It came out so beautifully!
I can’t wait to have a slice with coffee in the morning. My husband will love it. My oven died tonight just as I was about to put it in so I had to bake it in my toaster oven. It still worked out…haha! Gotta roll with it:-) Will definitely be making it again.
Hello! Looking to make this today, but I only have plain non-fat Greek yogurt. Will that be ok or is there something I can add to it? Thank you!
I”m sure it will be fine. It’s a very forgiving cake.
Absolutely loved this cake. Great ratio of fruit to cake. Moist and soft with a little hint of the lemon
to kick it off. Will make again and again.
Glad you liked it!
Can this cake still be accomplished with the same ingredients except using GF flour instead of regular flour?
Sorry but I don’t know anything about GF baking.
It’s rhubarb season so I substituted diced rhubarb in place of strawberries. It’s a wonderful cake recipe, as you said it’s very forgiving.
Would ruibarb do well in this cake instead of the strawberries? I am trying to find a good recipe to use some ruibarb I have in the freezer.
Thank you in advance. Looks very good, as always!
Yes, lots of people have used rhubarb!
I don’t have a springform pan, will a round pan do? Thanks! Ps. Made the zucchini past the other day and it was easy and delicious 🙂
Yes, absolutely!
Can you freeze it? I want to save some for my son.
You can try! It obviously won’t have the same texture. Or you can just make it again!!
Is this just as good if made the day before? I’ve baked it all summer (It’s always a hit) but always eaten it on the same day. It’s super delicious.
Tried it with a mix of ripe pear slices and strawberries – delicious!
Ciao! I’m making this today and saving for tomorrow. Does it need to be refrigerated? Grazie!
It should be ok, if it’s not too hot in your house.
Just made this recipe! My strawberries also sank into the cake, but I pushed in a few more during the baking process–you can’t have too many strawberries in my opinion 🙂 I love that it’s not too sweet and a perfect cake for warm Spring weather.
I think that the strawberries drop if your ricotta is too wet. If you drain your ricotta a bit before using, then the batter is stiffer.
Hello
Can i replace the two tablespoons of yoghurt with milk?
Thank you!
Yes, I do all the time!!
How long does the cake stay fresh/good for? Can I make it a day or two in advance for an event and keep it refergirated?
If you make it the day before, you don’t have to refrigerate it. It’s always better fresh, like any cake.
Just made this again with apricots and orange zest…came out beautifully – such a perfect recipe year round!
It’s Strawberry Ricotta Cake season again! Last time I made this, the strawberries on one side of the cake sunk in. This time I tried straining the ricotta as Elizabeth suggested (not much liquid came out) and dusting the strawberries as another commenter suggested. This time, almost all of the outer strawberries sunk while the inner circle stayed on top. I’m wondering if maybe omitting one or both of the tablespoons of yogurt would help (if the problem is that the batter is too wet as Elizabeth suggested in some comments above). Still delicious!
Not sure what is happening. My batter is very very thick. Maybe you are over beating at some point?
Baking isn’t my forte, but when a friend brought me a tin of culinary lavender from Seattle, I thought of this. Turned out pretty decent for a first time. I used about a teaspoon of lavender.
I make the cake with blueberries and almond extract instead of strawberries and vanilla.
It’s a wonderful breakfast cake!
This has been my go-to cake for dinner parties in the summertime. It is always a hit! Grazie!