Raspberry-Ricotta Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It is hard to believe that a cake this simple to make can be so delightful to eat. It is not too sweet, so I fear it will disappoint those who have an insistent sweet tooth, but the rest of you will be in dessert paradise. As you can tell, I really liked this cake and stop just short of saying it made my socks go up and down, The reason for my hesitation is that I find seeds in this type of dessert off-putting. The berries that are available now have seeds in them and they are not consistent in their sweetness or their size. I used the full component of berries suggested in the recipe, but I certainly did not end up with the garnet strewn gem shown in the magazine which you can see here. It is important that the berries you use be frozen. The batter for this cake is almost clay-like and soft berries would be mangled when you fold them into the cake. I am going to make the cake again next week with frozen strawberries and when marionberries and sweet cherries come into season I'll give it yet another try. I really, really like this cake. It is moist and has a soft, lovely crumb that I find most appealing. While it will keep nicely for two days, I prefer the texture of the cake the first day it is made. I do hope you'll give it a try. It makes a unique tea table addition and it would be perfect for Mother's Day, which will be here soon. Here is how the cake is made.

Raspberry-Ricotta Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Alison Roman via Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups ricotta
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup frozen raspberries or blackberries, divided

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly coat paper and pan with nonstick spray.
2) Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
3) Whisk eggs, ricotta, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Fold into dry ingredients just until blended. Then fold in butter, followed by 3/4 cup raspberries, taking care not to crush berries. Scrape batter into prepared pan and scatter remaining 1/4 cup raspberries over top.
4) Bake cake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–60 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding. Yield: 8 servings.

Cook's Notes: Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

                    

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