This simple apple ricotta cake recipe is light and moist, and also happens to be gluten free. Made with cornmeal instead of flour, it's not overly sweet, and makes a perfect fall treat.
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Is there anything that says fall more than an apples? Nope. But instead of baking up the typical spice cake situation, let's try an apple ricotta cake!
Generally, you add some fruit to the top of a ricotta cake and then bake it. But in another twist we're going to flip it - literally - and put the apples on the bottom. So it's like an apple upside down cake, too. So many things, I know. But it's easy I promise, and you won't be sorry.
I adapted this recipe from Summer Kitchens, a cookbook by Ukranian chef Olia Hercules. It's a variation on sernyk (or sernik), which is a type of cheesecake from Ukraine and Poland.
Ingredients
- Apples: Choose a sweet apple like Pink Lady or Gala. You want that sugar content so the apples will caramelize, and also because the cake isn't too sweet, so the apples will make up for it.
- Cornmeal: Use a fine yellow cornmeal. I like Arrowhead Mills.
- Ricotta cheese: You'll need whole milk ricotta. This is where the cake gets its moisture and richness.
- Brown sugar: To help the apples caramelize.
- Unsalted butter: Some for the apples and some for the cake batter.
- Eggs, separated: We'll add the yolks to the batter, then whisk up the whites and add them at the end to give the cake more volume.
- Vanilla, baking powder, sugar, and salt: Make up the rest of our batter.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter an 8 inch x 8 inch square cake pan. Place a piece of parchment in the bottom and butter that as well.
Use a good knife to cut the apples into ¼ inch thick slices, discarding the core.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches if necessary, melt 3 tablespoon of butter in the skillet and once it gets foamy, add the apple slices.
Turn them occasionally and when they get golden brown, add the brown sugar. Toss to coat until the sugar melts, then remove to a bowl to cool slightly.
Once the apple slices have cooled enough to handle, place them in the bottom of the cake pan. You don't have to make any sort of pattern, just get them as close together as possible without overlapping.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder.
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream the butter and ¾ cup of sugar together at medium-high speed until very fluffy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk until incorporated. Then add the vanilla extract.
Next add the ricotta cheese and whisk for about 3 minutes. This is important because a ricotta cake can be heavy if the cheese isn't whisked enough. It will help the cake to be a bit lighter.
Transfer to a bowl, then fold in the cornmeal mixture and make sure it is well incorporated.
Thoroughly wash and dry your mixer bowl and whisk, then add the egg whites and whisk on medium high speed. When they start to get foamy, gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and beat until you have soft peaks.
Add about ¼th of the egg whites to the cornmeal mixture and stir vigorously to loosen it up. Then add the remaining egg whites and gently fold into the batter until completely incorporated.
Add the batter to the cake pan, gently smoothing out the top and making sure it reaches all edges and corners.
Bake in the center rack of the oven for about 35 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are golden brown.
Cool on a wire rack. A ricotta cake needs to cool completely before serving. Once it has cooled down, turn it out apple side up onto a serving plate.
Tips and FAQs
- Be sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin! Your egg whites will be fluffier, butter and sugar will blend together easier, and the ricotta will get well incorporated without making the butter seize up again.
- If you need to do the apples in two batches, you might have to add a bit more butter to the skillet.
- Don't bang the pan to spread out the batter before baking! This will deflate all the volume you've been working to create. Gently smooth it out and into the corners without pressing down.
- I'm really serious when I say to wash and dry the mixer bowl and whisk before beating the egg whites. Water and any residue are the enemy of whisked peaks! Your whites will not whisk up if the bowl is dirty or wet.
- Does a ricotta cake need to be refrigerated? Not if you eat it fast enough! You can store this ricotta cake covered on the counter top for 2-3 days. It will store for about 5 days in the fridge.
Related recipes
- Almond Flour Carrot Cake is a simple one-layer cake that isn't overly sweet.
- If you're looking for more fall flavored sweet treats, these Pecan Pie Bars are the perfect bite!
- If you'd rather keep it gluten free and savory, try these savory Cornmeal Madeleines with Bacon, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Basil.
Recipe
Apple Ricotta Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Caramelized Apple Topping
- 3 medium apples such as Pink Lady or Gala
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Cake Batter
- 11 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup fine yellow cornmeal
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter an 8 inch x 8 inch square cake pan. Place a piece of parchment in the bottom and butter that as well.
- Use a good knife to cut the apples into ¼ inch thick slices, discarding the core.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches if necessary, melt 3 tablespoon of butter in the skillet and once it gets foamy, add the apple slices. Turn them occasionally and when they get golden brown, add the brown sugar. Toss to coat until the sugar melts, then remove to a bowl to cool slightly.
- Once the apple slices have cooled enough to handle, place them in the bottom of the cake pan. You don't have to make any sort of pattern, just get them as close together as possible without overlapping.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, cream 11 tablespoon of butter and ¾ cup of the sugar together at medium-high speed until very fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time and whisk until incorporated. Then add the vanilla extract.
- Next add the ricotta cheese and whisk for about 3 minutes. This is important because whisking it for this long will help the cake to be a bit lighter.
- Transfer batter to a bowl, then fold in the cornmeal mixture and make sure it is well incorporated.
- Thoroughly wash and dry your mixer bowl and whisk, then add the egg whites and whisk on medium high speed. When they start to get foamy, gradually add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and beat until you have soft peaks.
- Add about ¼th of the egg whites to the cornmeal mixture and stir vigorously to loosen it up. Then add the remaining egg whites and gently fold into the batter until completely incorporated, being careful not to deflate the volume of the egg whites.
- Add the batter to the cake pan, gently smoothing out the top and making sure it reaches all edges and corners.
- Bake in the center rack of the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, until the center is set, the edges are golden brown and a knife or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Once the cake is completely cool, turn it out apple side up onto a serving plate.
Notes
- You may not use all of the apple slices on top of the cake, but better to have too many than too few.
- Careful - the apples can go from golden brown to burnt very quickly so keep an eye on them.
- If you need to do the apples in two batches, you might have to add a bit more butter to the skillet.
- Don't bang the pan to spread out the batter before baking! This will deflate all the volume you've been working to create. Gently smooth it out and into the corners without pressing down.
- You can store this cake covered on the counter for 2 - 3 days, or in the fridge for about 5 days.
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