Ricotta Cake Recipe
The perfect summer treat: a light ricotta cake recipe topped with a peach compote with a hint of warm ginger. Top with whipped ricotta and heavy cream for the most delicious cake you’ll enjoy this summer.
Why I love this Ricotta cake recipe:
This cake has a simple sponge of standard cake ingredients, but I add ricotta and vanilla bean paste to heighten the taste and texture. It’s extra moist without being heavy.
The peach compote takes the ripest of the summer stone fruit and cooks them in warm fresh ginger and even more ground ginger and cinnamon. add in calvados or champagne for a boost of intense fruity flavor.
Top the entire dessert with whipped ricotta, vanilla bean paste and heavy cream.
Delicious!
Ingredients in this vanilla bean and ricotta recipe:
- fresh peaches (frozen will work)
- fresh ginger
- eggs
- ricotta
- milk
- heavy cream
- unsalted butter
- vanilla bean paste- Buy Pine & Palm Kitchen Paste HERE
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- sugar
- baking soda
- baking powder
- flour
- kosher salt
- champagne, Calvados (apple brandy) or apple juice
Special equipment for this recipe:
- heavy saucepan
- 9 x 13″ cake pan- buy my favorite HERE
- stand mixer with a paddle attachment or hand mixer- buy my favorite HERE
- silicone scraper
- mixing bowls, spoons and cups
How to make this recipe:
- Bake the Vanilla Bean-Ricotta Cake: Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, cream the butter and sugar, add in the dry ingredients. add in the eggs, ricotta, milk and vanilla bean paste. Bake in a floured and butter pan for 20- 25 minutes until the top is gold brown and the center is done.
- Make the Ginger-Peach Compote: While the cake is baking, comebine fresh ginger, cinnamon, and ground ginger to sugar. Add peeled peaches to a saucepan with the sugar and toss in butter. Off heat add in the champagne or Calvados, water and a pinch pf salt. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can substitute apple juice or cider. Turn the heat back on and cook the peaches until softened but not jammy.For the full recipe click here or scroll down for the abridged version.
- Make the Ricotta- Whipped Cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer whip on low speed ricotta with vanilla beam paste, add in heavy cream and whip until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to serve with the cake.
Common Questions about this recipe:
Great Question- I love a glass cake pan because I can see how “done” the bottom of the cake is, but a well built cake pan, like the one I recommend form Nordic Ware is a top rated pan.
Yes- this cake freezes very well. Bake the cake, cool it completely. Once cooled and removed from the pan, wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and slide in a zip top bag to ensure extra freshness. Be sure to use a sharpie to date the bad and ID the ingredients.
You can use frozen peaches, but try strawberries, apples or even nectarines. In the winter, persons would be fantastic in this compote recipe.
Yes and no- be certain to drain your cottage cheese through cheese cloth for 1-2 hours before using. It has a lot more moisture than ricotta.
Yes- the vanilla bean paste will have a more intense vanilla flavor and the little specks of vanilla caviar thought out. Just do not use artificial vanilla flavoring.
Pro-tips for this Ricotta Cake Recipe:
- To save time, make the compote and whipped ricotta a day in advance. Warm the compote in the microwave or on the stove top (covered).
- If the compote is getting too stiff, add more water. Cook it over low heat to prevent scorching or burning.
- Frozen peaches work fine. Defrost for 10 minutes before cooking.
- If you do not have ricotta, use full fat Greek yogurt. It will be more tangy, but it will work.
- Use whole milk ricotta, not part-skim.
- The whipped ricotta and cream will keep up to 8 hours in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Use and oven thermometer to make certain your oven is at the correct temperature.
Ricotta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 3 cups flour
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 TBSP vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup milk
- ⅓ cup ricotta cheese room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
Ginger Peach Compote
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 4 unit peaches sliced
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
- ½ cup champagne apple juice or Calvados
- 2 TBSP water
- Dash salt
Vanilla Bean Ricotta Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 TBSP granulated sugar
- pinch table salt
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Butter and lightly flour a 9’x13’ cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and beat the mixture on medium high speed for about two minutes until the sugar crystals have fully dissolved into the butter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. On low speed add in the milk and ricotta and vanilla paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda and salt in a bowl. With the mixer on low, add in the flour mixture to the bowl, one cup at a time. Mix on low until he flour mixture is fully incorporated into the batter. Using a silicone scraper, spread batter into the prepared cake pan and level with an off-set spatula. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool. Let cool for 10 minutes, loosen the edges of the cake with a knife then turn out of the pan.
For the Compote
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, ground ginger, cinnamon and fresh ginger. With clean hands, work the ginger into the sugar until well coated.
- Add the peaches to a small saucepan with the sugar and water . Cook on low until sugar has melted and the mixture begins to bubble. Stir often. Add the champagne or other liquid. Stir in the butter. Cook on low, partially covered, for 30 minutes until peaches are softened but not jammy.
- Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Spoon over vanilla bean cake with a dollop of the ricotta whipped cream, ice cream or yogurt to enjoy.
Ricotta Whipped Cream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment beat 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and sugar for 1 minute on medium low speed. One ether whipping cream begins to thicken increase speed to medium- beat of r30 seconds more. Add in ricotta, salt and vanilla bean paste and whip for 30 seconds more on high speed until soft peaks form. The cream should be pillowy and not firm. Chill until ready to assemble the dessert.
