The soft ricotta and orange cake is a simple, fragrant cake, perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Made with ricotta, yogurt and spelt flour, this cake has a soft, delicate texture and an irresistibly fresh orange aroma.
It’s a wholesome, light cake, made using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, which keeps it soft and pleasantly moist. Almonds and pine nuts on top add a crunchy note that contrasts perfectly with the soft interior.
The ricotta and orange cake is very easy to prepare: just a few ingredients and a few minutes to get a perfect cake to enjoy for breakfast, as a snack, or served with a cup of hot tea or an aromatic herbal infusion.
If you like soft, wholesome cakes made with ricotta, try also these recipes: Soft ricotta and apple cake, Ricotta and oat flour cookies, Light ricotta cheesecake, Ricotta and chocolate cake, and Cream, ricotta and fruit cake.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, All seasons
- Energy 123.13 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 14.68 (g) of which sugars 5.17 (g)
- Proteins 4.37 (g)
- Fat 5.53 (g) of which saturated 1.39 (g)of which unsaturated 0.67 (g)
- Fibers 1.17 (g)
- Sodium 50.07 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 63 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar (about 50 g)
- 3.5 oz ricotta (about 100 g)
- 1/2 cup plain white yogurt (I used Greek-style plain yogurt; about 140 g)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (if you don't have it or prefer a neutral oil, seed oil is fine)
- 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed (about 120 ml))
- 1 orange zest (grated, or a teaspoon of dessert liqueur)
- 1 cup spelt (farro) flour (or tipo 2 flour; about 130 g)
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (about 90 g)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- A few drops vanilla extract
- as needed nuts (I used almonds and pine nuts to decorate the top)
Tools
Below is the list of tools I used to make the recipe.
Some of these have a clickable Amazon icon, so you can purchase them directly from there if you wish.
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Citrus juicer
- 1 Grater for citrus
- 1 Pan silicone or non-stick 11-inch
Steps
Preheat the oven to 347°F (conventional).
1️⃣ In a bowl, combine eggs and sugar (and a few drops of vanilla extract) and beat with a whisk for 2-3 minutes, until slightly foamy.2️⃣ Add ricotta and yogurt
Continue by adding ricotta and plain yogurt to the egg and sugar mixture. Mix well with the whisk until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous cream.3️⃣ Add oil and orange
Pour in extra virgin olive oil, orange juice and grated zest, continuing to mix so that all ingredients are well combined.4️⃣ Incorporate the dry ingredients
Add the dry ingredients gradually to the mixture and stir until you obtain a soft, uniform batter.
5️⃣ Pour into the pan
Line an 11-inch pan with parchment paper or use a silicone pan as I did (no lining needed) and pour in the batter.Spread almonds and pine nuts over the surface.
6️⃣ Baking Bake in a conventional oven at 347°F for about 30 minutes.
Always do the toothpick test: if it comes out dry, the cake is ready.7️⃣ Cake is ready
Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Slice the soft ricotta and orange cake and serve for breakfast or as a snack.
How to store the ricotta and orange cake
The soft ricotta and orange cake keeps at room temperature for about 2-3 days, covered with a cake dome or stored in an airtight container.
Thanks to the ricotta and yogurt, it stays moist longer, retaining its soft, fragrant texture. If the ambient temperature is very high, you can store it in the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature a few minutes before serving.
Tips for an even softer ricotta and orange cake:
To achieve an even softer cake it’s important to use well-drained ricotta and ingredients at room temperature.
Beating the eggs and sugar well helps incorporate air into the batter, making the cake softer and lighter.
Baking is also crucial: bake the cake in a conventional oven without opening the door in the first minutes to allow the cake to rise evenly.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Variations of the ricotta and orange cake
If you prefer, you can replace spelt flour with tipo 2 flour or with 0 flour.
The mix of flours I used makes this ricotta and orange cake particularly soft and rustic, but you can also use a single type of flour with excellent results.
