The big bowl of plums on the dining table; the ears of corn sitting in the fridge waiting to be grilled; this peach ricotta cake. They’re all part of my farewell to summer. This summer was full of lots of time outside, some slow easy days with some of my favorite people, and (of course) loads of good summer-y food.
The days are already getting noticeably shorter, and there’s a little bit of a chill in the air around here. The air had that crisp quality about it this morning; the kind of air that stings your nose a little when you breathe deeply. I was reminded that autumn is imminent, and I really need to soak up all of the remaining summer produce before the counters are overrun with pumpkins and apples.
I got the inspiration for this recipe both from the fleeting summer and a favorite food memory. A few years ago, I made a cake with ricotta and raspberries that far surpassed my expectations. Within a few bites, I knew it–it was my new favorite cake.
It was perfect. Not too sweet. Fluffy without the slightest hint of dryness. Lovely zing from the fruit. A real dream of a cake. Confession: I think about this cake a lot. When I found good peaches at the market a few weeks ago, the only really good batch of peaches this summer (sadly peaches are a struggle here), I decided to pair my favorite summer fruit with my favorite cake.
If you’re in the states, you may be so lucky to have a few more really good peaches coming your way before the autumn really sets in. If you find yourself with said peaches, chop them up and toss them into this perfect peach ricotta cake.
Alison Roman, who writes nothing but outstanding recipes, developed the original recipe for Bon Appetit magazine back in March 2015. It’s an insanely good recipe as is. But I’ve changed it up a bit for this peach ricotta cake. Basically, I messed around with the wet and dry ratios to allow for the extra juice of the peaches. I also think that a mixture of peaches and raspberries would work really beautifully if that’s more your thing.
To make this cake the only equipment you need is some bowls and a wooden spoon. Really, that’s it. No dragging out the stand mixer or even the hand-held mixer. Maybe that’s part of the the appeal of it–easy and breezy just like summer cooking should be. Now grab the last of those peaches and let’s get baking!
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Peach Ricotta Cake
This peach ricotta cake is light, fluffy, perfectly sweet & filled with juicy summer peaches!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, full-fat
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted & slightly cooled
- 1 1/2 cup fresh peaches, cut into roughly 1/2 inch chunks*, divided
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
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In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, ricotta and vanilla. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the butter until completely combined. Scoop about two thirds of the batter into the prepared cake tin and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle a little more than a cup of the chopped peaches of the top of the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter over the peaches and spread evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the peaches evenly over the top of the batter.
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Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan.
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When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar if desired. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*I left the skins on the peaches. If you're not into peach skin, you can totally peel them.
**This recipe is slightly adapted from an amazing recipe for Raspberry-Ricotta Cake originally published by Bon Appetit magazine, written by Alison Roman, in March 2015.
1
I’ve made the bon appetit raspberry ricotta cake many times (I’m not a baker and it’s pretty foolproof) and your adaptation is fantastic. Perfectly moist and not too sweet. I added a pinch of cardamom.
I made this recipe as written but with nectarines instead of peaches (because it’s what I had and nectarines are basically just naked peaches, right?). It was divine. Not overly sweet, not dry…absolute perfection. Can’t wait to try it with different fruits.