Anne’s Italian Ricotta Cake

DessertInternational
Written By Holly Enowski

Submitted by: ANNE DEATON

Her Food Story:

Ricotta is loved by Italians because it is so versatile! You can spread it, fry it in fritters, and bake it in dishes like lasagna or in delicacies like cake! That's as good as it gets! The Ricotta Cake below is a beautiful finish to a special meal. It's light and not too sweet. Enjoy!

ITALIAN RICOTTA CAKE
with BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Serves:  10

Ingredients:

  • 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 cup plus two rounded tablespoons of sugar

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour

  • 1 pinch salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)

  • 1 cup fresh ricotta

  • Zest of 1 large lemon

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • 1 large granny apple, peeled and grated on biggest opening, filling one cup

  • Confectioner's sugar

  • Optional: Blueberry topping

  • Blueberry Sauce

    • 1/4 cup sugar

    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

    • Dash salt 1/4 cup water

    • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I use frozen, but not the small, wild blueberries)

    • 1 and 1/2 cup lemon juice

    • 1/2 t grated lemon zest

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy.
3. On lowest speed, add eggs one at a time.
4. Slowly add flour, salt, ricotta, lemon zest, and baking powder.
5. Slowly fold in apple.
6. Scrape batter into a lightly greased and floured 10" spring form pan.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cake is golden brown and sides start to pull away from pan.

8. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan onto another wire wrack and cool completely. Then turn cake over face up on serving plate.

9. When completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve this way or add some fresh berries or berry sauce such as Blueberry Sauce (recipe below)

Note: This cake freezes well. Thaw out at least 30 minutes before serving.

Blueberry Sauce
1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
2. Gradually whisk in water until smooth.
3. Add blueberries, lemon juice and zest and bring to boil over medium heat.
4. Stir 2-3 minutes or until thickened as desired.

Spoon over separate cake slices if you are only serving half the cake. If using the whole cake, you can drizzle over the entire top. Note: Consider doubling this recipe if you will use the entire cake at one setting. Sauce stores well in refrigerator and is great on pancakes and ice cream..

Holly Enowski
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