Apricot Ricotta Cake
It’s July in Tuscany and we are swimming in apricots. Everywhere you look the little golden fruits are weighing down tree branches. When the breeze hits just right, you can catch the sweet scent of ripened fruit in the air. This is the signal to get creative in the kitchen because the bounty is here and she does not wait.
The perfect cake (in my opinion) is a seasonal fruit-topped cake served with barely sweetened whipped cream, simple, yet elegant. I’ve had versions of this type of cake over and over again in Italy, you typically see this 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, or for a summer dessert after dinner with whipped cream or gelato.
Many recipes call for a bit of milk in the batter, but I wanted something richer which led me to a cake from Ina Garten, that calls for a full cup of ricotta. And since I happened to have sheep’s milk ricotta on hand, I got inspired. Torta di ricotta all'albicocca.
What’s extra special about this cake are the medallions of apricots that caramelize in the oven, their sweet juices imbibe the cake making it super moist and full of flavor.
RECIPE
yields 8-12 servings
This recipe is can be adapted with the seasons, any juicy soft fruit will do. In the summer: figs, plums, peaches, or berries. In the fall/winter seasons, try add warming spices with pears, apples, or persimmons.
INGREDIENTS
1¼ sticks/ 140 grams unsalted butter, at room temp
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta - bonus if you can find sheep’s 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
8-10 apricots, cut in half, pits removed
2 tablespoons raw sugar for sprinkling
TO PREPARE
Preheat oven to 350F/ 180C.
Butter and flour a 9-inch spring form pan
I recommend using a stand mixer as it makes things easier, but a hand blender works well too.
Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in.
Next add the ricotta, yogurt, vanilla, and lemon zest. Mix well.
Shift 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 halved apricots on top of the batter, cut side down, pressing them in a bit. Sprinkle the cake with the raw sugar and bake for 40 minutes.
Let cool, remove from pan and serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, ricotta, or vanilla gelato.
