Description
Ina Garten’s blueberry ricotta breakfast cake delights with its moist crumb and delicate flavor profile. Home bakers will appreciate this simple yet elegant morning treat that promises pure culinary comfort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (250 grams) whole-milk ricotta
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 10 tbsps (1¼ sticks/140 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (12 oz/340 grams) fresh blueberries, divided
- 1¼ cups (160 grams) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsps (30 ml) sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt (or sea salt)
- Confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar), for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Environment: Position oven rack in center and warm to 350°F (180°C). Generously prepare a 9-inch springform pan with butter and flour, ensuring complete coverage and removing excess powder.
- Create Creamy Base: Utilize electric mixer to whip butter and sugar at medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and pale, periodically scraping bowl sides for consistent blending.
- Build Wet Foundation: Integrate eggs individually, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Fold in ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest until smooth and uniform, accepting slight curdled appearance.
- Combine Dry Components: Gently whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Merge Mixtures: Delicately incorporate dry ingredients into wet mixture using low-speed mixing, stirring minimally to prevent overmixing and maintain cake’s tender texture.
- Distribute Blueberries: Fold two-thirds of blueberries into batter using soft rubber spatula, carefully dispersing fruit without crushing delicate berries.
- Assemble and Decorate: Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing surface evenly. Artfully scatter remaining blueberries across top, gently pressing into batter’s surface.
- Bake and Verify: Position cake in preheated oven, baking 45-55 minutes until inserted toothpick emerges clean and cake displays golden-brown edges.
- Cool and Serve: Rest cake in pan for 15 minutes, then carefully remove springform sides. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm or at room temperature for optimal enjoyment.
Notes
- Prevent Blueberry Sinking: Toss blueberries in a light dusting of flour before adding to batter to prevent them from dropping to the bottom during baking.
- Mixing Technique Matters: Mix wet and dry ingredients just until combined to maintain a tender, soft cake texture without developing tough gluten strands.
- Temperature Control: Let ingredients like eggs, butter, and ricotta reach room temperature for smoother blending and more consistent cake structure.
- Fresh vs. Frozen Berries: Fresh blueberries provide the best flavor and texture, but if using frozen, do not thaw beforehand to prevent color bleeding and maintain cake’s integrity.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 339
- Sugar: 21 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg