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cranberry ricotta cake
Dessert

Cranberry Ricotta Cake

This cranberry ricotta cake couldn't be easier to make! No fancy equipment is required for this easy holiday dessert recipe.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Makes: 8 -10 servings

Ingredients

Ricotta Cake

  • 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 16 oz whole milk ricotta at room temperature
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Cranberry Topping

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Streusel

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Streusel Topping

  • In a small bowl, use a fork to combine the ingredients until clumpy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cranberry Topping

  • In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, until the cranberries are soft and burst and most of the liquid has evaporated. Cool to room temperature.

Ricotta Cake

  • Preheat an oven to 350 F. Grease a 10x3" cake pan and line with a circle of parchment paper.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Continue to cook until the butter is golden brown, but not too dark. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl and cool. For more detailed instructions on how to brown butter, scroll up to the blog post.
  • In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ricotta, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and the brown butter and fold together until the batter is smooth and there are no streaks of flour. Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan and top with the cranberries. Use a fork to break up the bits of streusel and sprinkle over the top.
  • Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack to room temperature before removing it from the pan and slicing. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 270kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 6gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 65mgSodium: 184mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20g