Ultimate Moist Strawberry Ricotta Cake Recipe: Your New Go-To Creamy Dessert

Imagine a cake that’s not just sweet, but incredibly creamy, baked to perfection yet wonderfully moist. This delightful strawberry ricotta cake is exactly that – a perfect centerpiece for a high tea, a refreshing dessert after a summer BBQ, or a charming addition to a spring brunch.

Prepare to fall in love with this exquisite strawberry cake, made exceptionally creamy and moist thanks to the star ingredient: ricotta cheese. This secret touch ensures an airy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, far from the dense or dry cakes you might have encountered. It’s truly a versatile treat, equally at home on an elegant high tea spread, as a bright finish to a festive spring brunch, or as the refreshing highlight of a casual summer barbecue.

This particular recipe was inspired by a delightful find during a monthly food blog swap, where I was assigned the Dutch blog “Aan tafel bij Anna.” Known for its array of healthy recipes, “Aan tafel bij Anna” provided the initial spark for this strawberry ricotta cake. As part of the swap, I took the liberty to adapt and refine the original recipe, aiming to simplify the ingredients list while enhancing the flavor profile. The result, I must say, was nothing short of spectacular. This adjusted version truly shines, proving itself to be a delicious contender for any special occasion, from Mother’s Day dinner to a casual gathering. Don’t just take my word for it – try it for yourself!

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Why This Strawberry Ricotta Cake Will Be Your New Favorite

There are countless reasons to adore this strawberry ricotta cake, but here are a few compelling points that make it a must-try for any baking enthusiast or dessert lover:

• Enjoy Year-Round Freshness: This recipe is incredibly adaptable, allowing you to use either fresh, seasonal strawberries for peak flavor or convenient frozen strawberries when fresh ones are out of season. This means you can whip up this delightful cake any time of the year! Just remember to defrost frozen berries for about 15 minutes before mixing into the batter to ensure even cooking.
• Minimal Ingredients, Maximum Flavor: With a streamlined list of only 7 core ingredients, this recipe proves that you don’t need a pantry full of exotic items to create something truly extraordinary. Simplicity in ingredients often translates to purity of flavor, allowing the natural sweetness of strawberries and the richness of ricotta to shine through.
• Effortless Preparation for Entertaining: Looking for an impressive dessert that doesn’t demand hours in the kitchen? This strawberry ricotta cake is your answer. It’s designed to be an easy dessert that can be prepared in advance, making it perfect for dinner parties, brunches, or last-minute gatherings. Bake it ahead of time, then simply serve when ready!
• Quick Batter in Minutes: The hands-on time for preparing the batter is astonishingly short – just about 10 minutes! Once your ingredients are measured and ready, the mixer does most of the heavy lifting. After a brief mixing session, your oven takes over, handling the rest of the magic while you focus on other tasks.
• A Versatile Base for Culinary Creativity: While strawberries are undeniably delicious in this cake, the ricotta-infused batter acts as a fantastic canvas for a variety of other fruits. Feel free to experiment with different berries, stone fruits, or even chopped apples and pears to create unique flavor combinations tailored to your preferences and the season.

The Secret Ingredient: Why Ricotta Makes All the Difference

A truly excellent question indeed! The addition of ricotta cheese is the key to this cake’s exceptional texture. Ricotta works wonders by introducing significant moisture and a delicate creaminess to the batter, effectively preventing the cake from turning out dry or crumbly. Instead, it contributes to an incredibly tender, airy, and moist crumb that’s absolutely irresistible.

Ricotta cheese also helps to slightly dilute the batter, creating a lighter, fluffier structure compared to cakes made with just butter and flour. This unique characteristic is why ricotta-infused cakes often boast a wonderfully soft and ethereal feel. If you find yourself without ricotta, or simply wish to explore other options, you can achieve a similar moist and tender result by incorporating sour cream or cream cheese. These alternatives provide a comparable richness and moisture, as demonstrated in this fantastic cream cheese cake recipe.

The Importance of Room Temperature Ingredients in Baking

Ever wondered why so many recipes, especially for cakes, insist on using room temperature ingredients? It’s a fundamental baking principle that significantly impacts the final texture and consistency of your cake. When all your ingredients — particularly butter, eggs, and ricotta — are at room temperature, they are able to emulsify and blend together seamlessly. This creates a smooth, cohesive batter that traps air more efficiently.

Conversely, if your butter is too cold, it won’t cream properly with the sugar, leading to a lumpy mixture that struggles to incorporate air. If eggs are cold, they can cause the butter mixture to seize and curdle. These issues can result in a cake with a dense, uneven, or even solid texture. The goal is to incorporate tiny air bubbles into the butter and sugar during the creaming process. These air bubbles then expand in the oven, giving your cake its light and airy structure.

There’s a delicate balance to mixing: you can overmix just as easily as you can undermix. Undermixing won’t incorporate enough air, leaving your cake heavy. Overmixing, especially after adding flour, can overdevelop gluten, leading to a tough cake. By ensuring your ingredients are at room temperature, they blend together effortlessly, requiring less mixing time to achieve a smooth batter and reducing the risk of either over- or undermixing. Follow the mixing times specified in the recipe closely, and your cake will be perfectly tender every time.

Key Ingredients for Your Moist & Fluffy Strawberry Ricotta Cake

Gathering your ingredients and preparing them correctly is the first step towards baking a perfect, moist, and fluffy strawberry ricotta cake. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why each component is vital:

1. Strawberries: The star fruit of our cake! Fresh, ripe strawberries offer the best flavor and juiciness. Select firm, bright red berries for optimal taste. However, because the strawberries are baked into the cake, good quality freezer strawberries are also an excellent option when fresh ones are not in season or available. If using frozen, let them defrost for about 15 minutes before adding them to the batter; this helps them integrate better without introducing too much excess water to the batter initially. Gently wash, hull, and slice them.
2. Self-rising flour: This convenience flour is a carefully pre-portioned mix of all-purpose flour and leavening agents (typically baking powder and a pinch of salt). The baking powder in self-rising flour reacts with moisture and heat to create carbon dioxide bubbles, which are essential for giving the cake its airy, fluffy lift. TIP: Always use fresh self-rising flour. Baking powder can lose its potency over time, leading to a flat cake. Check the expiration date!
3. Butter: Essential for both flavor and texture, butter adds richness, moisture, and helps create a tender crumb. It’s crucial for the creaming method, where air is incorporated. Ensure your butter is at true room temperature (soft enough to indent with your finger but not melted) for optimal mixing. Cut it into cubes and let it sit out for at least 1 hour before you start baking.
4. Sugar: Beyond just sweetening the cake, sugar plays several important roles. It contributes to the cake’s tenderness by interfering with gluten development, helps retain moisture, and aids in browning the crust for a beautiful golden finish. Granulated sugar is perfect for this recipe.
5. Ricotta: Our key to an incredibly moist and airy cake! Ricotta cheese, with its delicate, creamy texture, dilutes the batter and ensures the cake stays wonderfully tender and never dry. For the best results, use whole milk ricotta for richer flavor and smoother consistency. Like butter and eggs, ricotta should be at room temperature; take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to use it.
6. Eggs: Eggs are multifunctional in baking. They provide structure, act as a binder, contribute to the cake’s richness and color, and help to emulsify the batter, creating a smooth and uniform mixture. For this recipe, use large (size L) eggs. If you store your eggs in the refrigerator, take them out at least 30 minutes prior to use so they can reach room temperature. TIP: In many climates, it’s not strictly necessary to store eggs in the refrigerator, and keeping them at room temperature can make baking prep easier.
7. Vanilla extract: A classic flavor enhancer that beautifully complements the sweetness of strawberries and the richness of the cake. Good quality pure vanilla extract will elevate the overall aroma and taste of your cake.

Baking Your Perfect Strawberry Ricotta Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide

Crafting this delicious strawberry ricotta cake is a straightforward process, promising a rewarding baking experience and an even more delightful treat. While a printable recipe card with concise steps is available at the bottom of this blog, here’s a detailed narrative to guide you through each stage, ensuring a successful bake.

Step 1: Prepare the Base Batter. Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and greasing/flouring your 10.5-inch (26 cm) springform pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat them together on high speed for a full 2 minutes until the mixture is visibly light, fluffy, and pale in color. This creaming process is crucial for incorporating air, which contributes to the cake’s airy texture. Next, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Pour in the vanilla extract with the last egg. Continue mixing for another minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the self-rising flour. Mix just until the flour is combined into the wet ingredients. It’s important not to overmix at this stage to avoid developing too much gluten, which can make the cake tough.

Step 2: Fold in the Ricotta. With the mixer off, add the room temperature ricotta cheese to the batter. Using a spatula, gently fold the ricotta into the mixture until it’s just evenly distributed. The goal here is to maintain the airy structure you’ve built in the previous step, so avoid vigorous mixing. The ricotta will contribute significantly to the cake’s moistness and unique texture.

Step 3: Add Strawberries and Transfer to Pan. Take half of your prepared (washed, hulled, and sliced) strawberries and gently fold them into the batter with your spatula. Again, be gentle to avoid crushing the fruit and to keep the batter light. Once the strawberries are just dispersed, pour the entire batter evenly into your prepared 10.5-inch (26 cm) springform pan. Ensure the top is relatively smooth.

Step 4: Bake and Cool. Arrange the remaining half of the strawberries artistically on top of the batter in the springform pan. Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking times can vary, so keep an eye on it. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the springform for about 5 minutes. This brief cooling period allows the cake to slightly shrink from the sides of the pan, making it easier to release without sticking or tearing. After 5 minutes, carefully remove the cake from the springform and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. A completely cooled cake is essential for the best texture and slicing!

Beyond Strawberries: Explore Other Fruit Variations

While this recipe shines with strawberries, the moist and tender ricotta cake batter is an incredibly versatile base that invites experimentation with a myriad of other fruits. Don’t limit yourself – consider these delicious alternatives to create a unique cake for any season or preference:

• Raspberries: Fresh raspberries are a fantastic choice, especially when they are sweet and juicy in season. Their tartness offers a wonderful contrast to the cake’s sweetness. Simply rinse the raspberries gently and fold them into the batter whole; there’s no need to halve them unless they are exceptionally large. They’ll burst with flavor during baking.
• Pear and Apples: For a delightful fall-inspired treat, incorporate diced pears and apples. Choose firm, flavorful varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples, and Bosc or Anjou pears. Peel and core the fruit, then cut it into small, uniform cubes. To prevent browning and add a touch of brightness, toss the fruit with about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice before mixing it into the batter. The warm spices like cinnamon or nutmeg could also be added to the flour for an extra autumnal touch.
• Cherries: A cherry ricotta cake is a truly delicious prospect! Both fresh and frozen pitted cherries work wonderfully. If using fresh, make sure to remove all the pits using a cherry pitter before adding them to the batter. This is a crucial step – you wouldn’t want anyone to break a tooth on a stray pit while enjoying a slice of your beautiful cake!
• Figs: For a sophisticated and subtly sweet cake, sliced fresh figs are an exquisite choice. Select ripe, plump figs and slice them into rounds or wedges. For an extra layer of gourmet flavor, consider drizzling a small amount of honey over the figs that you arrange on top of the cake just before placing it in the oven. The honey will caramelize beautifully during baking.
• Blueberries: Classic and always a crowd-pleaser, blueberries are an excellent option. They hold their shape well and provide sweet bursts of flavor. You can use them fresh or frozen (no need to thaw), and consider tossing them lightly in a spoonful of flour before adding to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom.

Expert Tips for a Flawless Cake Every Time

Achieving a perfect strawberry ricotta cake is easier than you think, especially when you follow these tried-and-true baking tips:

• Room Temperature is Key: As emphasized, ensure all your dairy ingredients (butter, ricotta, eggs) are at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify correctly, resulting in a smooth, well-combined batter that captures air effectively and bakes evenly.
• Respect Mixing Times: Precision in mixing matters! Stick closely to the mixing times specified in the recipe. Undermixing won’t properly aerate your batter, while overmixing (especially after flour is added) can develop gluten too much, leading to a dense or tough cake.
• Egg Size Matters: This recipe calls for large (size L) eggs. If you only have small (size S) eggs on hand, you can typically use three small eggs to replace two large eggs to maintain the correct liquid-to-dry ingredient ratio.
• Vanilla Alternatives: If you don’t have vanilla extract, don’t worry! You can substitute it with a ⅓ ounce (7 grams) packet of vanilla sugar, often found in the baking aisle. Adjust the total sugar amount in the recipe slightly if using vanilla sugar to avoid making the cake overly sweet.
• The Skewer Test for Doneness: The best way to check if your cake is fully baked is with a simple skewer test. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the very center of the cake. If it comes out clean, with no wet batter clinging to it, your cake is done! If there’s still wet batter, extend the baking time by 3-5 minutes and repeat the test until clean.

Can You Make This Cake in Advance?

While there’s nothing quite like a slice of freshly baked cake still warm from the oven, this strawberry ricotta cake holds up beautifully when made a bit earlier. This makes it an ideal choice for entertaining, allowing you to focus on other preparations closer to serving time. If you want to give the impression of a “just-baked” cake, simply place it in a preheated oven at 285 degrees Fahrenheit (140 degrees Celsius) for about 5 minutes. This gentle warming will revive its aroma and give it that wonderfully fresh, soft texture, enhancing the overall experience for your guests.

How to Store This Delicious Cake

Proper storage is key to enjoying your strawberry ricotta cake for days after baking:

• Refrigeration: You can store this cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Ensure it’s completely cooled before placing it in the container to prevent condensation, which can make the cake soggy.
• Reheating for Freshness: To bring back that freshly baked warmth and softness, simply pop a slice (or the whole cake) into a preheated oven at 285 degrees Fahrenheit (140 degrees Celsius) for about 5 minutes before serving.
• Freezing for Longer Storage: This cake freezes exceptionally well! Once the cake has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then an additional layer of aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe airtight container. You can store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, simply transfer it to the refrigerator overnight or let it come to room temperature on the counter. You can also gently warm it in the oven after thawing for that “just baked” feel.

This strawberry ricotta cake is truly irresistible, and if you found yourself falling in love with this recipe, you might also enjoy these other delightful cake creations:

📖 Recipe Card

RECIPE CARD

Strawberry Ricotta Cake

Andréa

A delightful recipe for a creamy strawberry ricotta cake. This cake is perfectly sweet, baked until done yet incredibly moist, making it ideal for a high tea. It also serves as a delicious dessert for a summer BBQ or a lovely spring brunch.

5 of 3 votes

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Sweets and Sweet Baking

Cuisine Other

Servings 8 slices

Calories 447 kcal

Equipment

• A conventional oven is used. When using a convection oven (with air fan) decrease the temperature with 30 °F / 20 °C
• Springform 10 inch (26 cm diameter)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• ▢ 500 gram strawberries
• ▢ 200 gram self-rising flour
• ▢ 200 gram butter
• ▢ 200 gram sugar
• ▢ 150 gram ricotta
• ▢ 3 eggs, size L
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

Preparation

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  1 hour before start: Take the butter out of the refrigerator, slice in cubes and put at room temperature.
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  30 minutes in advance: take the ricotta (and the eggs when storing in the refrigetor) out of the refrigerator and put them at room temperature.
• ▢
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).
• ▢
  Wash the strawberries and hull them. Slice them in halve (and when they’re really big quarter them). Divide them into two bowls.
• ▢
  Weigh and measure the remaining ingredients and put them at your counter.

Strawberry ricotta cake

• ▢
  Mix the sugar and butter for 2 minutes on high speed.
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  Add the eggs one by one. Add the second egg when the first egg is incorporated. Also pour in the vanilla extract. Mix 1 minute on high speed.
• ▢
  Put your mixer to low speed and put the self-rising flour in the bowl. Mix until the flour is just incorporated into the batter and turn the mixer of.
• ▢
  Add the ricotta with the batter and gently mix it with a spatula.
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  Add half of the strawberries to the batter and whisk them in very gently.
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  Pour the batter in the springform.
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  Spread the rest of the strawberries on top of the cake.
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  Put the cake in the oven and bake until done in 35 minutes. Check with a skewer (see tips on the how to).

Notes

Tips for Success:

• Use the ingredients on room temperature so they will mix better.
• Stick to the mixing times as described in the recipe. That way you won’t under (or over) mix.
• Use size L eggs. If you don’t have them, you can use 3 eggs size S instead of the 2 size L eggs in this recipe.
• If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can also use a ⅓ ounce (7 grams) vanilla sugar.
• If you want to know if the cake is done, use a skewer. Stick it in the center of the cake and take it out. If it is clean, the cake is done. Otherwise, extend the baking time by 3 minutes and repeat the skewer test.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 8gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 219mgFiber: 2gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 805IUVitamin C: 37mgIron: 1mg

Keyword a cake recipe, a cake recipe with fruit, a recipe for a high tea, cake recipe with strawberries, moist cake, easy dessert, ricotta cake

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