This Ina Garten blueberry ricotta cake recipe is a twist on a classic Italian breakfast cake.
Ina’s blueberry ricotta cake recipe has a beautifully moist texture from the creamy ricotta and combines the mild flavor of ricotta with tang from lemon zest & sour cream and sweetness from fresh blueberries.
It’s quick & easy to make, looks great to serve and is perfect with a coffee for breakfast or snack.
This is my homemade Barefoot Contessa blueberry ricotta cake.
You can see the combination of fluffy crumb, mild denseness from the ricotta and scattered fresh blueberries.
The creaminess of the ricotta adds a velvety texture and increases the moisture of the crumb.
The ricotta has a mild yet very subtle tangy flavor, unlike other cheeses which can be noticeably tangy or salty.
This article will tell you everything you need to know to perfect this Barefoot Contessa ricotta cake.
See my short video below which gives you the ingredients and walks you through the whole process if you want to follow along.
Everyone loves Ina Garten cake recipes and this is one of my favorites.
I have an entire page with hundreds of Ina Garten recipes if you are interested.
Ina Garten’s blueberry ricotta cake is relatively quick & easy to make.
It can be thrown together last minute and is even good to eat while its still warm – if you can’t wait for it to cool down.
You only need a hand mixer and don’t need to use a stand mixer – unless you want to.
Its also quite forgiving.
I made a mistake when I made the cake you see in the photos and it still turned out amazingly.
Check out my video – linked below the recipe and see if you can spot what I did wrong.
Hint, I may have added the eggs at the wrong time.
My cake still came out nice and fluffy – you can see how the cake expanded and rose around the blueberries in the photo below.
How Can You Adapt Ina Garten’s Blueberry Ricotta Cake Recipe
Ina’s recipe combines full cream ricotta with lemon zest and sour cream and fresh blueberries.
Any of this can be changed.
Citrus fruits and blueberries have natural sweetness & mild tartness and are perfect combinations for ricotta’s mild & delicate flavor.
You could use orange, or lime instead of lemon, or raspberries or blackberries instead of blueberries.
Any similar combination will add a refreshing taste and compliment the beautiful texture from the ricotta.
Ina’s recipe uses fresh blueberries.
You can substitute for frozen fruit but you might need to make some other small changes to the recipe – see my tip number 4 below and my comments in the notes under the recipe directions.
How To Make An Ina Garten Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake
A full list of ingredients and instructions are listed below.
For anyone who might benefit from a little more guidance or information, this article will give you:
My Top 4 Ina Garten ricotta cake making tips
A short instruction video showing all the steps, without the fluff
Full list of ingredients & instructions
My tips are in the next section.
They aren’t a repeat of the instructions.
Just simple cues that will make the whole process easier.
The instruction video covers the entire process to make Ina Garten’s blueberry ricotta breakfast cake.
In 2 minutes you will see what each step looks like, without any fluff.
It also lists the ingredients and directions for each step.
If you want you follow along with the video to make your own version of an Ina Garten blueberry ricotta cake – just pause the video as you go.
Top 4 Tips To Remember To Make The Perfect Ina Garten Ricotta Blueberry Cake
Take a minute to scroll through these tips.
Keep them in mind and making this Barefoot Contessa blueberry ricotta cake will be a breeze.
1. Carefully measure out the ingredients
This cake comes together quickly and is forgiving but the right ingredient ratios are important if you want the right texture.
You need measured ingredients to achieve a perfect combination of moist and fluffy crumb with a slightly dense texture for a ricotta cake.
This is particularly important given there is so little flour and a cup of ricotta, which can be quite wet.
Too much flour and your cake can be too dry.
Too much ricotta and your cake might be too wet & dense and risks falling apart.
2. Use a firm ricotta or drain your ricotta if its watery
Ricotta is made from whey – the watery part of the milk that is left over after the production of other cheeses.
The whey is heated and forms ricotta as the remaining proteins solidify.
The solidified ricotta is skimmed off and let to drain.
Depending on the manufacturing process, some store bought ricotta contains more excess liquid than others.
Drain excess moisture from the ricotta before adding it to the cake batter. Excess liquid can result in heavy and overly wet cakes.
If you’re in a hurry you can simply pour out the excess water or tip the ricotta into a sieve so the water runs off.
You could also wrap the ricotta in a kitchen towel and twist it to squeeze the water out.
If you have more time, or if your ricotta is particularly wet, place a thin cloth or a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, add the ricotta and place a weight on top.
Cover the lot and put everything in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.
(Discard the excess water that comes out)
One thing to note about watery ricotta.
Excess water can be a sign your ricotta is spoiled.
Other signs to look for include any sort of smell (ricotta doesn’t generally have a smell), or if your ricotta has gone yellow or brown.
If your ricotta has a combination of these factors, this would suggest the ricotta is likely spoiled and should be discarded.
3. Don’t overwork the batter when adding the flour
Gradually adding the flour to the cake batter and combining with a spatula is a safe way to avoid overmixing.
You can use a mixer on low speed if you need to.
The key is, DO NOT overwork the batter. You only need to mix until just combined.
Overworking the batter is like kneading bread dough.
Kneading bread dough strengthens the gluten network in the flour – this helps create a strong chewy bread loaf.
Minimal mixing will ensure you end up with a moist, yet soft & fluffy ricotta cake.
Watch my video if you want to see what your mixed batter should look like.
4. Can you use frozen berries in a cake
Using frozen berries is generally ok in cake recipes.
Ina’s recipe uses fresh blueberries but YES you can use frozen blueberries, or any other frozen berry if you prefer.
If using frozen berries, do NOT defrost the berries beforehand. Instead, toss the frozen berries in flour before adding them to your cake mixture.
Frozen berries tend to release more juice compared to fresh berries.
Tossing the berries in flour beforehand can help prevent their color from bleeding through the cake.
Keep in mind, frozen berries will lower the temperature of the cake batter so you might need to increase your cooking time by about 5 minutes.
Final thoughts
Ricotta cake is a staple in Italy.
As a slightly sweet treat for breakfast or as a snack with a coffee.
I’m sure Italy would embrace Ina’s twist on their classic ricotta cake, with its fresh blueberries, sour cream and lemon zest.
Everyone will love this Ina Garten blueberry ricotta breakfast cake so give it a try today.
Homemade Ina Garten Blueberry Ricotta Cake (Recipe, Tips & Video)
Recipe by Barbara HuntCourse: Ina Garten
Servings
6-8
servings
Prep time
30
minutes
Cooking time
50
minutes
Calories
300
kcal
Ingredients
1 ¼ sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1 cup ricotta (whole milk)
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 ¼ cups flour (all purpose)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (divided into 2 cups)
Sifted confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan (or line with baking paper).
In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix well.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Gradually combine the flour mixture to the batter, mixing with a spatula (or on low speed) until just combined. Fold half of the blueberries (1 cup) into the mixture with a spatula.
Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan. Scatter the remaining blueberries (1 cup) on top, pressing them lightly into the batter.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Lightly dust the top with the confectioners’ sugar just before serving (optional).
If using frozen berries, do not defrost the berries beforehand. Toss the frozen berries in flour before adding them to your cake batter. Increase cake cooking time by 5 minutes.
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
