A Cranberry Ricotta Cake that comes together in about 1 hour (preparation and baking) and it will use up some of those cranberries hiding in the back of your fridge.
Keep this dessert for two simple by sprinkling the top with powdered sugar and the cranberry flavor will shine through.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You may only need to buy ricotta cheese to create this lovely cake, assuming you still have cranberries.
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter – salted or unsalted, whatever you prefer.
- Sugar
- Ricotta cheese – whole milk
- Egg
- Orange zest – gives the cake just a little sweet zing
- Fresh cranberries – dried cranberries will not work as they soak up too much of the moisture.
- Powdered sugar – optional
How to make Cranberry Ricotta Cake for Two
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unclip your springform (6-inch diameter for a cake for two) and separate the ring from the base. Slide parchment paper over the base, leave about 1/4 inch on the outside and place the ring back on. This secures the paper. Cut off excess of paper. Lightly spray the sides of the springform with cooking spray.
Step 2 – Mix flour, baking powder and salt in one bowl and set aside.
Step 3 – Add butter (softened), sugar and ricotta to a second bowl and mix until smooth.
Step 4 – Add the egg and the orange zest to the butter mixture and mix until combined.
Step 5 – Add the dry ingredients to the butter/egg mixture and mix until combined.
Step 6 – Add the cranberries and fold them into the batter.
Step 7 – Pour the batter into the prepared springform and level the top.
Step 8 – Bake the Cranberry Ricotta cake in the preheated oven for about 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Step 9 – Allow the cake to cool. Then open the springform by releasing the ring and slice the cake off the bottom. Pull the parchment paper off the bottom and sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.
Step 10 – Cut and enjoy!
Alternatives and substitutes
- Butter – Salted or unsalted? The forever question in baking. I usually use whatever I have available and the outcome has not disappointed me either way. Yes, I know that there is a difference of amount of salt in salted butter that vary among brands, but I believe that the amount is small and is not necessarily noticeable. If you need to keep you salt (sodium) intake as low as possible, please use unsalted butter.
- Ricotta cheese – I used whole milk, but partially skim milk or low fat version can be used as well. In general I would say whole milk is preferable as fat is flavor. Having that said, the same rule as in the butter salted vs unsalted, is the difference of fat content in whole milk ricotta vs lower fat ricotta making a difference in the flavor? Doubtful.
- Orange zest – Can be easily replace with lemon zest. In this case the flavor will definitely be different, not better for different. The orange zest has sweetness and tang, while the lemon zest is more bitter.
- Powdered sugar – This ingredient is optional. The cake simply look a little nicer. Alternatively, you an decorate it with a sugar icing or whipped cream.
Recipe adapted from Tasting Table.
Other Dessert recipes to try:
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Cranberry Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter (NOTE 1) softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup ricotta (NOTE 2)
- 1 whole egg
- 1/2 tablespoon orange zest (NOTE 3)
- powdered sugar (NOTE 4) optional
Instructions
- Line a 6-inch springform bottom with parchment paper and spray the sides with cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Add butter, sugar and ricotta into a bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth.
- Add egg and orange zest to the butter mixture and mix until smooth.
- Add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture and mix until combined.
- Add cranberries and fold into the batter.
- Transfer batter into the prepared springform and slide form into the oven.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool. Release ring of springform and remove cake from bottom. Peel parchment paper off and place cake on a dish or plate.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use salted or unsalted butter. Whatever you prefer with the knowledge that there are the amount of salt used in salted butter varies between brands.
- You can use whole milk or partially skim milk or low fat. There may be a slight flavor difference as whole milk contains more fat and fat is flavor.
- Orange zest can be replace with lemon zest, but will alter the flavor of the cake. Lemon zest is more bitter than orange zest.
- Sprinkling the cake with powdered sugar is of course not a must, but more an esthetic finishing touch. You can also keep it plain or whip some cream.
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