Strawberry Ricotta Cake Recipe | Italian Dessert

Strawberry Ricotta Cake is a light and fluffy Italian cake made with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries. This Italian dessert recipe is the perfect treat for any occasion. 

If you love strawberries, then you have to give this easy cake recipe a try! Strawberry Ricotta Cake is moist and stays fresh for days and is great for strawberry lovers. 

For more delicious Italian cakes, be sure to try this Raspberry Ricotta Cake, Limoncello Ricotta Cake, Chocolate Ricotta Bundt Cake, Italian Pear Cake, or the classic Sbrisolona Italian crumb cake.

You’ll Love Strawberry Ricotta Cake

One bite of this delicious strawberry ricotta cake and you’ll be hooked! With it’s soft and fluffy texture, it’s one treat you don’t want to miss. 

I love to use ricotta in baking, especially to make ricotta cakes. The ricotta adds a level of creaminess that gives the cake perfect moisture and makes for a tasty and delicate cake.

Here, the combination of rich ricotta and juicy strawberries really makes the flavor pop. Served with a cup of espresso or hot coffee, and it’s the perfect treat. 

This is also a great strawberry cake recipe to make ahead of time. It’s one of those cakes that seems to taste better the longer it sits. 

So if you love sweet and simple cakes, you have to give this Italian strawberry ricotta cake a try. It’s sure to be a new favorite! 

Ingredients

• Strawberries: for this recipe you will need about 1 ½ cups of diced strawberries. It’s a good idea to dice them and pat them dry before adding to the cake batter. 
• Ricotta Cheese: use whole milk ricotta cheese. Drain the ricotta over a fine mesh sieve before using to get rid of any excess liquid. 
• Butter: you will need one and half sticks of room temperature butter. Use unsalted butter if you have it. Otherwise, salted works, just omit the additional salt in the recipe. 
• Sugar: regular granulated sugar is needed for the cake batter. 

• Eggs: you will need three large eggs. Add the eggs in one at a time. 
• Vanilla: a splash of vanilla extract adds great flavor. You could even use ½ teaspoon of almond extract if you enjoy almond flavor. 
• Flour: all purpose flour is needed for the batter. You will also need two tablespoons of flour to toss the strawberries in before adding to the batter. 
• Salt: kosher salt is best. 
• Baking Soda: just a bit of this leavening agent will help the cake rise. 
• Powdered Sugar: finish off your strawberry ricotta cake with a sprinkle of icing sugar over top. 
• Variations: add a bit of lemon zest and lemon juice to make the flavors of this cake pop. 

How to Make Strawberry Ricotta Cake

Making a light and fluffy Italian strawberry ricotta cake is simple and always a crowd pleaser. You can make this in a greased 9-inch springform pan, 9×13 inch baking pan, or in a classic 10-inch cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy removal. 

Step 1: mix the wet ingredients

To ensure a perfect cake, you need to pay attention to how long you beat together the wet ingredients. First, in a large bowl, use an electric mixer to mix the butter and sugar until well combined. 

Then, add in the drained ricotta cheese. Use the mixer to beat the ricotta into the butter and sugar for about 4-5 minutes. This will help give the cake a fluffy rather than dense finish. 

Next, mix in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the vanilla until just combined. 

Step 2: add in the dry ingredients

To the bowl, add in the all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Use the handheld mixer to mix the ingredients until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 

Step 3: add in the strawberries

Dice the strawberries into small ¼-1/2 inch pieces. Toss the strawberries in 2 tablespoons of flour. 

Pour about three quarters of the strawberries into the batter and mix to combine. 

Step 4: pour batter into cake pan and bake

Lastly, pour the ricotta cake batter into your prepared pan. Top the cake with the remaining diced strawberries. 

Bake the cake in a preheated oven on the center baking rack for about 70-75 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out mostly clean and the cake is golden brown. Cover loosely with foil if the cake starts to brown too much. 

Let your Strawberry Ricotta Cake cool on a wire rack before for about 10 minutes before removing the collar. Be sure the cake is completely cooled before dusting the top of the cake with powdered sugar and slicing. 

Recipe Tips

• Pan: if you don’t have a springform pan, you can bake this in a large cake pan, bundt pan, or a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time and test for doneness using a toothpick. 
• Ricotta: Be sure you are straining your ricotta before using. You can do this by letting the ricotta sit in a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, set over a bowl, before adding. 
• Mixing: you must use a hand mixer to whip up the ricotta cheese along with the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Don’t skip this step or you’ll end up with a denser cake. 
• Strawberries: fresh strawberries are naturally moist and thus require extra cooking time in this recipe. Make sure your strawberries are patted dry before adding them to this recipe. 
• Baking: if you notice the Strawberry Ricotta Cake starting to brown in the oven before it is done, cover it lightly with foil so it can continue to bake without browning. 
• Storage: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. This can cake also be frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Italian Ricotta Cake Recipes