Raspberry Orange Pistachio Ricotta Cake – Made with brown butter, ricotta cheese, raspberries this cake is super moist and comes together in minutes.
We are living in some wild. times. right now. These days blog posts are supposed to be evergreen, meaning that it should be timely if you are reading it today or ten years from now. But as I type this during a time when we are socially distancing ourselves from one another, it feels remiss if I didn’t mention it at all.
My children have been out of school for a few days already and as of today all restaurants and bars and places serving over 25 people are closed. You can still get takeout and delivery, and go to the grocery store and pharmacy, but most things are shut down tight.
I am really proud of our state for taking this so seriously and making difficult decisions that are will help the greater good. I know that they are not made lightly and have long term ramifications.
I’m not stressed about this situation, but I will admit that other people’s anxiety can make me a little anxious. When I am feeling uneasy, I do one of two things, pick up my camera or get in the kitchen and bake. I’m going to be doing a lot of both. Until I run out of baking supplies anyway.
I made this raspberry orange pistachio ricotta cake in my Instagram stories yesterday and saved it as a highlight. I had so many people ask me to post the recipe here so they could come back to it, and I am happily obliging. I have decided that I am going to try to bake something in my stories every day since we have nothing but time right now.
Some will be older recipes that need a reshoot and some will be new ones that I’ve been wanting to try out. We’ll see how it goes.
I chose this cake after seeing Roberta of Healthy Little Cravings make a lemon and almond version. It’s exactly the kind of thing that I crave when I’m stressed out and need some calm. A simple cake that is easy to make.
You don’t need anything special to make this cake. Just a spoon and bowl. No mixer or anything crazy. You can use whatever fruit you have on hand, add nuts, don’t add nuts. Add some almond extract, vanilla bean paste. The options are endless.
If you don’t have ricotta, I bet that you could try sour cream and it would work too. Or try making some ricotta cheese. It’s actually really fun and easy to do.
What makes this ricotta cake so delicious?
This cake gets a boost in flavor from some brown butter. Brown butter is butter that has been melted and cooked until it gets golden and nutty. It’s glorious. Not sure how to do it? Here’s how to brown butter.
Fresh raspberries. I bought some gorgeous raspberries at the supermarket, but blackberries, blueberries, cherries, anything you like to eat would work in this ricotta cake.
Pistachios. I had some shelled pistachios in my pantry, and since I’m determined to shop my pantry as much as I can during this time, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to use them. Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans would also be delicious.
Orange zest and orange juice. I added the zest of one orange and a few tablespoons of the juice to pump up the orange flavor. You could also use lemon, blood orange, lime, or grapefruit.
Sanding sugar. I like to add just a little sanding sugar to the top of any muffin or coffee cake that I make. It adds crunch and a little sparkle and makes everything seem like it came from a bakery.
How to make Raspberry Orange Pistachio Ricotta Cake
- This recipe is so simple. It’s as simple as whisking the eggs, ricotta, vanilla, orange zest, and juice in a bowl.
- Then mix the dry ingredients in another bowl.
- Pour over the brown butter and mix until combined.
- Gently fold in raspberries. Pour batter into a prepared 9″ springform pan. Top with more berries, orange slices, and pistachios. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
- Bake in a 350° oven for 50 to 60 minutes.
This cake keeps really well and is great for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or any time really.
I hope that you make this raspberry orange pistachio ricotta cake and love it as much as I do.
Raspberry Orange Pistachio Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- zest from one orange
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup butter browned
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1/3 cup pistachios chopped
- Orange slices optional
- Sanding sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, ricotta, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla.
- Add the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until blended.
- Add the browned butter and fold until combined.
- Gently fold in raspberries. I save some to decorate the top of the cake.
- Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Top with reserved raspberries, orange slices, pistachios, and sanding sugar.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Nutrition
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