Strawberry Ricotta Cake

Name: Strawberry Ricotta Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 150 gm strawberries (quartered); 30 gm castor sugar; 30 gm balsamic vinegar; 100 gm butter (room temperature); 220 gm castor sugar; 3 eggs; 1 tsp vanilla; 2 drops almond extract; 250 gm flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp baking soda; 200 gm ricotta; 100 gm sliced almonds; 2 tbsp Demerara sugar (topping)

Tender and moist tea cake with macerated strawberries, ricotta and almonds. This recipe is delicious and fresh, making for a simple but elegant dessert.

I love everything about summer. Especially, fresh strawberries that are sweet and vibrant. I got a 3kg tray of strawberries for AED 10, which were harvested in Oman. Making them as local as they could get in UAE. I have been thinking about recipes that I can make using them and this cake was definitely on the list.

The beauty about this cake is the flavors that are so fresh and they pair well with each other. The strawberries are macerated in balsamic vinegar and sugar which is the perfect amount of sourness and sweetness. The almonds not only add crunch but also add flavor to the cake, it is a fresh and summery recipe that is perfect right now but that shouldn’t stop you from making it at any time of the year.

What is maceration?

The process of breaking down food, softening them using a liquid or other ingredients. It is a form of preservation, this process breaks down the ingredients components allowing them to release their juices. This recipe doesn’t use this method as a form of preservation, we are merely breaking down the fruit and creating a more juicy mixture.

What ingredients do you need to make this Strawberry Ricotta Cake?

Strawberries

The recipe needs fresh strawberries. You can use blueberries instead of strawberries. We macerate the strawberries with balsamic vinegar and castor sugar. You can use lemon juice instead of the vinegar or any other vinegar you have.

Ricotta

This is a major component of the cake, hence I wouldn’t skip it out but if you don’t have ricotta you can use cottage cheese instead. Coarsely blend the cottage cheese until grainy and use it in place of the ricotta.

Cake

Butter –

The recipe needs room temperature softened butter. You can use a dairy free butter to make this recipe.

Eggs –

I have used medium eggs which are at room temperature. This recipe cannot be made eggless hence I wouldn’t recommend any substitute.

Flour –

This recipe calls for all purpose flour but you can use cake flour, self raising flour or even gluten free flour mix (like Bob’s Red Mill).

Vanilla & Almond extract –

We only need a 1 tsp of vanilla and a couple of drops of the almond extract but, these tiny amounts go a long way and flavor the entire cake. So I wouldn’t leave it out.

Almonds –

I have used sliced almond or flaked almonds. You can use any almonds you have, chop them finely and use them as the recipe calls for.

Castor sugar –

You can use granulated sugar, superfine sugar or castor sugar to make this cake batter. We also use the sugar in the strawberry mixture.

Demerara sugar –

I like the crunch of the sugar on top of the cake and this sugar gives it just that once it bakes.

What equipment do you need to make this Strawberry Ricotta Cake?

We need a couple of mixing bowls, one for the macerated strawberries and one to make the cake batter. I have used an electric beater to make the cake batter but you can use a stand mixer or a spatula as well. The cake is baked in a 9 inch round tin and I have lined it with baking paper. If your dry ingredients have lumps in them I would recommend sifting it.

How to make this Strawberry Ricotta Cake?

We start by preheating the oven to 180℃, line a 9 inch round tin with butter and baking paper. Cut the strawberries into quarters and transfer to a bowl, add the balsamic vinegar and castor sugar. Stir until combined and let it sit for 10 mins, we can get on with the cake batter in that time. In another bowl, add the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat well until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, gently fold together and add the ricotta. Half way through the folding, add the macerated strawberries and fold together until combined.

Transfer the half the batter to the tin and layer more ricotta and strawberries with sliced almonds. Add the remaining batter into the tin and smooth it out. Add more ricotta and strawberries, top with almonds and Demerara sugar. Bake for 45-50 mins until the cake has risen and the top is golden. The tooth pick test will not work well here as there ricotta keeps the cake extremely tender and soft. Hence when you poke the cake with tooth pick it shouldn’t have wet batter on it, moist or wet crumbs is fine.

How to serve this Strawberry Ricotta Cake?

Once the cake is baked, it needs to cool as the cake will be too hot to cut into it and it will break apart. Let it cool down in the tin and remove after a couple of hours once its cool enough to handle. Slice with a sharp knife and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.

How to store this Strawberry Ricotta Cake?

The leftovers can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 5 days. I would recommend storing it after portioning the cake. I have frozen this cake too which is fine but the texture is not the same once thawed. Hence I wouldn’t recommend freezing the cake.

Now that we have covered how to make this Strawberry Ricotta Cake, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. Don’t forget to follow along for more fun recipe inspiration.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.