This moist and tender Almond Ricotta Cake is perfect for any occasion! The batter comes together in one bowl with zero fancy equipment and it can be served for dessert, but it’s also a great breakfast pastry. Whole milk ricotta adds so much moisture without making the cake taste heavy, and the blend of almond extract, Amaretto, and slivered almonds provides a fragrant almond flavor.
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This Is Such an Easy Dessert for Entertaining
Everyone needs an easy yet impressive dessert to bust out when company comes calling, and this almond cake made with ricotta and Amaretto is that dessert in my house. It comes together in one bowl in less than 15 minutes and doesn’t require any fancy equipment! You don’t even need to cream butter and sugar together with a hand mixer.
All you need to make this recipe is a whisk and a mixing bowl. I also love a cake that doesn’t require layering or decorating. The smattering of almonds and sugar on top make this cake visually appealing enough! You can serve at least 10 people so it’s great to bring out for dinner parties.
Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream and you’re ready to entertain!
Required Equipment
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
You can find the full list of ingredients, quantities & method in the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Ricotta. An extremely mild and creamy Italian cheese that’s perfect for enhancing baked goods. Opt for full-fat ricotta here (the fat keeps the cake moist and flavorful).
- Flour. Spoon the all-purpose flour out of its bag and into the measuring cup. This prevents accidental over measuring.
- Sugar. There’s granulated sugar in the batter, and I like sprinkling crunchy turbinado sugar on top of the cake just before baking. After cooling, a dusting of powdered sugar on top makes for a pretty presentation.
- Almonds. I like sliced almonds for topping the cake.
- Unsalted butter. Instead of adding plain melted butter to the cake batter, I like to brown it first for added richness and flavor. The nuttiness of the brown butter complements the almond flavor so well!
- Eggs. You’ll need 3 room temperature eggs for this recipe. If you forgot to set them out ahead of time, submerge them in warm tap water for about 5 minutes before using.
- Vanilla + almond extracts. Opt for a high-quality almond extract and pure vanilla. Using both extracts creates a more nuanced almond flavored cake.
- Amaretto. This is optional, but in my recipe testing I found that the almond cake made with Amaretto was so much more flavorful! (It doesn’t make the cake taste evenly remotely boozy.)
Jenny’s Tip: For a holiday version of this cake, check out my cranberry ricotta cake recipe!
How to Make Almond Ricotta Cake
- Brown the butter. To prevent the butter from accidentally burning, I suggest using a light colored saucepan so it’s easy to tell as soon as the butter is golden brown. The butter will melt, then start to bubble and foam, and finally brown.
- Whisk the wet ingredients. Combine the ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla, almond, and amaretto in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Fold in dry ingredients. Always whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl to make sure the leavening agents gets evenly distributed. Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet, whisk just until combined.
- Add the brown butter. Wait until the butter has cooled to room temperature before mixing into the batter.
- Bake. Turn the batter into a greased 10-inch cake pan and top with slivered almonds and turbinado sugar. Bake at 350ºF until a cake tested inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Jenny’s Tip: I like to serve this cake while it’s still warm, with a dusting of powdered sugar on top.
Need to Adjust the Pan Size? Here’s How
This almond ricotta cake is baked in a 10×3-inch cake pan. If you have a 10-inch springform pan, that can be used also. If you don’t have those pans, I’ve included the instructions to scale the recipe down or up.
- For an 8-inch square pan: Multiply the ingredients by .8 to achieve the correct volume and bake for 35-45 minutes.
- For a 9×13-inch baking pan: Multiply the ingredients by 1.2 and bake for 45-55 minutes.
Chef Tips for Making This Cake
Opt for whole milk ricotta. The added milk fat creates a more moist and tender crumb, plus it makes for a more flavorful cake.
Use room temperature ingredients. Set out the eggs and ricotta 30ish minutes before making the batter. Room temp ingredients incorporate more seamlessly into the cake batter.
Add Amaretto for extra flavor. The Amaretto doesn’t make the cake taste boozy, it just drives home that fragrant almond flavor.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Easy Dinner Party Desserts
- Citrus Olive Oil Cake
- Skillet Wild Blueberry Cobbler
- Cherry Clafoutis
- Molten Chocolate Nutella Cakes
- Chocolate Whiskey Cake
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Almond Ricotta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 oz / 1 stick)
- 16 oz whole milk ricotta , room temperature
- 3 eggs , room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons amaretto (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2/3 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons turbinado or granulated sugar , for sprinkling
- powdered sugar , for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Grease and line a 10×3-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Brown the butter. In a small saucepan or skillet, melt the butter and cook over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until golden brown and nutty smelling. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup and cool slightly.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and amaretto until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients with a rubber spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in the cooled brown butter until well mixed.
- Bake. Spread the batter in the prepared cake pan in an even layer and top with the almonds and turbinado sugar. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool before slicing. Cool for 10 minutes in the cake pan and then transfer to a plate or wire rack. Dust lightly with powdered sugar and serve!
Storage Instructions
- To store: Wrap the cake in parchment and plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for 3 days. To freeze, wrap before slicing in plastic wrap really well and transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and then microwave for 20 seconds before serving.
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