Recipe: Italian Nonna Ricotta Cake

Words by Shelley Adams.

Only a true Italian nonna could produce a cake with such a simple list of ingredients. It’s light and airy but also rich and flavourful. It would be delicious with some stewed rhubarb or fresh raspberries, or served for breakfast with a really good espresso. 

Ingredients

9 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 

1 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar 

3 large eggs, room temperature 

1¼ cups all-purpose flour 

1 tbsp baking powder 

¼ tsp salt 

1 cup ricotta cheese 

Zest of 1 lemon

1 apple, peeled and grated (about 1 cup) 

Icing sugar for serving

Make It

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan. 

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy using a hand mixer (about 5 to 8 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. 

Fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, ricotta, lemon zest and apple. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. 

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cake is golden brown and sides start to pull away from the pan. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. 

Turn cake out of pan and cool completely on the rack. Sift icing sugar over the top of the cake before serving. Serves 6. 

MORE FROM WHITEWATER COOKS: Roasted Butternut Squash with Pumpkin Seed Spiced Butter

 

Excerpted from Whitewater Cooks: Together Again by Shelley Adams. Copyright © 2021. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

 

Originally published March 14, 2022