Mango Ricotta Cake
This ricotta cake is super soft, fluffy and moist, yet crumby enough to be a perfect snack or breakfast cake. The acidity of ricotta cheese in cake batters helps in creating a very tender and moist crumb. That’s why I love to add ricotta to most of my cakes! I topped this one with juicy mangoes for a sweet and sour kick!
You probably have seen other versions of this ricotta cake by the way, because I just simply can’t stop making it!! I like to play around by adding warm spices such as cinnamon and cardamom for a spiced cake, lemon juice and lemon zest for a punch of citrus or simply a bit of vanilla or almond extract for a sweet and mellow taste. You can create your very own cake and always have some around to grab and go anytime at home!
My first ricotta cake is this Plum Ricotta cake and is one of the most popular recipes here on the blog. Another super popular version is this Blueberry and Almond Ricotta cake, which is full of blueberries and silvered almonds on top. A favorite around here for fall is this Spiced Apple Ricotta cake and it has lots of cinnamon, ginger and cardamom and it’s like a punch of warm goodness in every bite. I’m telling you my friend, the possibilities are almost endless! Just pick a fruit you like and use it on top. But remember that because of the fruits, the top of the cake will always be kind of gooey, which is the very best part if you ask me! It may look like the batter is still a bit raw but it’s just that it’s super moist and full of flavor!
And it only takes some simple steps to make this cake! Read my tips below:
How You Can Make This Ricotta Cake
For this ricotta cake recipe, one of the most important things is to have the butter barely softened, not warm. You need the butter creamy but still a bit chilled when mixing with the rest of the ingredients. This step is crucial to give this ricotta cake its structure.
Another point to take into consideration is to not incorporate too much air to the batter. Remember this cake is denser than other types of cakes, so the mixing times and speeds stated in the recipe are enough to make the batter come together.
I like to start by mixing the flour, baking powder and salt (and spices if using). The wet ingredients come together so fast that I prefer to prepare the dry ingredients first and have them waiting for when it's their time to be used.
After this it’s truly as simple as creaming the butter with the sugar, then adding the eggs, adding the oil and the ricotta and finally gently adding the flour mixture. I transfer the batter to the pan and arrange the fruits on top, in this case the mangoes, which I sliced and arranged in a fan pattern. I sprinkled a lot of sugar on top and baked the cake for about an hour.
When checking for doneness with a toothpick, remember that the top will be gooey after the fruits release its juices, but if it has been an hour in the oven it should be done.
You can store any leftovers in the fridge and it will good for days. In a previous post a reader and I were debating about reheating this cake or eating it out of the fridge. My take is that if you like to taste the tartness and freshness of the fruit you will probably prefer the cake out of the fridge. Now, if you are all about that gooey and sticky texture that forms on top, you definitely will want to heat this cake a few seconds on the microwave. I’m all about that gooey top so I’ll always be TEAM WARM!! What about you?!
With what other fruits would you love to see this cake in the future?! Give me ideas, I’m all ears!!
Happy baking my friends! See you in the next one!
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Mango Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour – 2 cups
◯ Baking powder – 1 Tsp
◯ Fine sea salt – ½ Tsp
◯ Unsalted butter, barely softened (see notes) – 8 TBSP (1 stick)
◯ Natural granulated sugar – 1 ½ cup + 2 to 3 TBSP
◯ Vanilla extract – 1 Tsp
◯ Eggs, at room temperature – 2
◯ Vegetable oil – ¼ cup
◯ Ricotta cheese – ¾ cup
◯ Mangoes, about 2 medium, peeled and sliced in half moon sliced of about ⅛” thick
Details
Yield:
a 9” springform pan
Total time:
1.5 hours
Baking time:
1 hour
Equipment:
springform cake pan or 9” cake pan, stand or electric mixer, bowls, hand whisk and spatula
Steps
Preheat oven at 350°. Spray with plenty of baking spray or grease with plenty of butter a 9” springform baking pan.
In a medium bowl mix the 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt with a hand whisk.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with the beaters if using a hand held electric mixer) beat the 8 tablespoons of butter in the slowest speed for about 30 seconds either in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer with the beaters attached. You just want to cream it a little bit. Add the 1½ cup of the sugar and the teaspoon of vanilla and beat for about a minute, until the butter and sugar form a thick grainy paste. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the ¼ cup of oil and the ¾ cup of ricotta cheese and mix until just combined. Start adding the flour mixture, about half cup at a time but without waiting too much time between additions. As soon as you add the last flour stop the mixer and finish mixing the cake batter very gently with a large rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until there are no flour streaks visible. Be sure to scrap the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Arrange the mango slices in a fan form, making sure they are barely overlapping on each other. Sprinkle liberally the remaining sugar on top. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean after you inserted it through the center of the cake. Remember that the area right beneath the mangoes could be a bit wet and gooey, but the bottom should be dry.
Retire form oven and let it cool down a few minutes before removing from the springform pan. Store any leftovers wrapped in a very moist paper towel in an airtight container on the fridge. Heat in the microwave a few seconds before eating if you prefer it warm.
