Strawberry Ricotta Cake
Summer desserts are upon us.
Hello fellow bakers,
I’m back after, admittedly, a longer than intended break—I was having a jolly old time enjoying summer to its full extend, being lucky enough to have access to an outdoor pool and, at least for a little while, a beautiful chalet by the lake. Throw in some good books, people and meals, and it’s easy to forget about the rest of the world.
But there would be no enjoying summer without the abundance of flavors it brings along: colourful berries, melons and stone fruit are finally upon us, and I’ve been working on today’s recipe while munching on bowl after bowl of Québec strawberries.
At the peak of summer fruit season I basically build my bakes around these sweet flavor bombs. They’re beautiful and fragrant, and they bring their own type of sweetness, unmatched by industrial sugar. Which is also the reason why my summer recipes tend to be very toned down (what a nice euphemism for what I actually mean: simple)—I want to let the precious fruit shine and not smother it in too much extra fanfare.
This week’s Strawberry Ricotta Cake is a great example of this type of simple summer dessert: it’s as basic and easy a cake as it gets, slightly upgraded by the addition of almond flour, a whole vanilla bean, lots of fresh lemon (zest and juice!) and high-quality ricotta. And of course it’s packed with peak-season strawberries for maximum flavor and juiciness. For me personally, it also has the added bonus of smelling exactly like my mom’s strawberry vanilla jam when it comes out of the oven.
So let’s dive right in (like that pool I was talking about, with outside temperatures inching closer to the 30s here in Montreal today).
RECIPE
10-12 servings
Equipment: 9” round springform; hand or stand mixer with paddle attachment
INGREDIENTS
180g unsalted soft butter, at room temperature
180g white sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon (ideally organic)
1 vanilla bean, or 10g (2 tsp) vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
180g ricotta, at room temperature
180g all-purpose flour
60g almond flour
600g fresh strawberries
7g (1 1/2 tsp) baking powder
3g (1/2 tsp) baking soda
3g (1/2 tsp) salt
30g almond slivers
Icing sugar for dusting (optional)
METHOD
(Tip: if you want a visual run-through of the process, go over to my Instagram account where I’ve published a short reel for this recipe.)
Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F. Grease the springform with butter, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Dust the sides of the pan with flour, shaking off any excess. This will help the cake release better during unmolding.
Wash the strawberries and take off the tops. Reserve 5-6 strawberries, preferably the biggest and nicest ones. These will go on top of the cake. Cut the rest of the strawberries in halves or quarters (depending on their size).
Place the sugar in a big bowl, then add the inside of the vanilla bean and the lemon zest. Rub the vanilla and the zest into the sugar between your fingers to release the essential oils and combine everything well.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl or measuring cup, stir together the ricotta and the lemon juice (if you’re using vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean, you add it here).
Add the butter to the sugar and beat with the paddle attachment until paler in color and lightly fluffy (about 4 minutes). Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to not miss any bits.
Now add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the ricotta and beat well.
Now add the dry ingredients and mix again until just incorporated as to not overmix the batter.
Fold in the strawberry pieces.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and smooth out the top with an off-set spatula or spoon.
Cut the reserved strawberries in half (vertically) and place the halves on top with the cut side facing up, pressing them lightly into the batter. Sprinkle the almond slivers on top.
Bake on the middle rack for 50-55 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester or skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then run an off-set spatula or butter knife around the sides and unmold. Let cool down completely before dusting with icing sugar.
Storing tips: You can store the cake in an airtight container or wrapped in cling film at room temperature for up to 2 days, but I prefer storing it in the fridge for a longer shelf life. This also prevents the cake from getting too soggy dur to the remaining water in the strawberries.
