Strawberry ricotta cake – soft, melt-in-your-mouth, delicious! It’s almost like cheesecake but without all the work. And it’s just what we need to bring us out of this chill and into spring!
(Love strawberries? Try this super refreshing Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse. It’s a breeze to make! These strawberry Belgian waffles are easy to make too but would make any morning special.)
Do you have daylight saving time where you are? We just turned our clocks forward yesterday and I’m never very happy about that. You lose an hour, your body clock adjusts, did I already mention you lose an hour?
I am happy that this means we’re almost out of this chill and into spring though. And to celebrate (and make us feel better about losing that hour), today we have this light, bright perfectly spring-y strawberry ricotta cake.
Easy cheesecake recipe
I love baking with ricotta cheese (have you tried my soft and fluffy Lemon Ricotta Muffins recipe?). Although not as smooth and creamy as cream cheese (in fact it results in grainier cheesecakes), I find I like that cheesecakes made with ricotta are lighter and not as rich.
This strawberry ricotta cake has the consistency of cheesecake – soft, melts in your mouth – but without all the work that comes with baking a cheesecake. Isn’t that wonderful?
All you need to do is whisk, fold, bake, eat! Just watch the video to see how easy it is to make.
Related: What to do with Leftover Ricotta Cheese – Sweet & Savoury Recipes
Strawberry ricotta cake
Using sweet strawberries is key to the success of this cake. Strawberries that are on the sour side would leave a tart aftertaste. Some people may like the sweet-sour combo but I prefer this cake to be sweet all the way (don’t worry, it’s not overly sweet).
You can also use frozen strawberries or raspberries or blackberries if they’re your favourite.
Easy Easter dessert
If you’re already planning your Easter menu, this cake would make a great addition. Not only is it easy to make, you can also make it up to 2 days ahead.
Just store tightly wrapped in the fridge then bring down to room temperature just before serving. Then top with homemade whipped cream and enjoy.
And as a bonus, here are 16 other delicious Spring and Easter Cake Ideas for you!
Dessert recipes using ricotta cheese
If you love ricotta cheese as much as I do, you would love these desserts made with ricotta cheese.
This Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake is a family favourite. Sweet and salty, soft and moist, you don’t need frosting or glaze to enjoy it!
Meanwhile, the chocolate fans in your life will be forever grateful when you make a batch of these delightful Chocolate Ricotta Muffins. It’s the perfect excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast!
Strawberry Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 pcs large eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled and quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 3/4 tsp salt until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth and incorporated. Fold into your dry ingredients just until combined (do not over mix).
- Fold the 1/2 cup melted butter and 1 cup strawberries into batter. Transfer the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake is starting to brown at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Serve with whipped cream and extra strawberries on top (optional).
Video
Notes
- You can use frozen strawberries or raspberries or blackberries if they’re your favourite.
- You can also make this cake up to 2 days ahead. Just store tightly wrapped in the fridge then bring down to room temperature just before serving (though it's also delicious chilled!).
Happy baking!
Did you make strawberry ricotta cake? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
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Valerie says
1:00 in the oven and still not cooked in the middle… it smell heaven but i dont understand why it takes so long
Jolina says
Hi Valerie. There can be a lot of reasons for this but the most common one is oven temperature. If your oven runs too hot the outside of the cake will cook faster than the middle. My old oven was like this and I resolved it by buying a $10 oven thermometer. In the meantime, when you’re baking a cake and notice that the sides or tops are getting too brown too soon, loosely cover with foil and continue baking.
Jennifer says
Hi, I made this cake last night and it was a big hit. I just have a question about mixing the ricotta with the eggs and butter. It never got smooth and I mixed in my kitchenmaid for awhile. Is there something else I need to do to make it smooth? I will be trying the lemon muffins next.
Thanks!
Jolina says
Hi Jennifer! Glad you and yours liked it! The batter won’t actually get super smooth (like other cake batters) so you’re ok (check out the video, the batter is a tad grainy though I don’t know if the footage shows that clearly).
Marisa F. Stewart says
I can’t wait to go to the Farmer’s Market and pick up some strawberries. This dessert screams spring and the texture looks so light. I bet it would taste good with other berries too. Family gathering in two weeks – I’m making this for dessert.
Lois Christensen says
This is a must in our house for Easter although we’ve never added strawberries to the cake batter! Looks amazing!
Arlene Mobley says
I bet this cake tastes amazing. Perfect for spring!
Denise says
I have been craving something like this lately. You always make the best desserts. I love the way that lemon ricotta pound cake looks too. Your family is lucky to have you!
Gloria says
Love baking with ricotta…and using it in savory dishes too. This cake looks it would be a crowd pleaser. Perfect to take along to a party. I would also serve this at brunch…and ALL the bbq parties.
Veena Azmanov says
Always yummy and super delicious. I want to grab it all.
Precy says
I made this for my daughter’s yersterday and the whole family loves it!! They are asking for more specially strawberries are always on sale.
Jolina says
That’s awesome Precy! I’m glad the whole family loved it. It’s a really simple but delicious recipe and perfect for strawberry season. They’re on sale here now too 🙂
Patti says
This was so good! My mom bought too much ricotta cheese so we decided to make this cake together. We made an afternoon of it. Thanks for the recipe.
Jolina says
Hi Patti! So glad to hear you guys liked it and had fun making it.
Tilly says
This was perfect with my cup of coffee.
Eva says
We bought a lot of strawberries a few weeks ago and decided to give this cake a go. It was delicious! I am not much of a baker but this is easier than I expected. I do not own a springform pan so I used a normal pan and just oiled it well. Had no issues taking the cake out. The family loved it. Thank you!
Jolina says
So happy to hear that Eva! Glad you and the family liked it 🙂
Angelica says
What a beautiful cake and we love ricotta cheese. Can’t wait to make this for my mom on mother’s day.
Cianie says
This looks so yummy! Can you share a piece with me the next time you make it.
Jenni LeBaron says
I want a slice of this right now! I love that it’s full of creamy ricotta!
Veena Azmanov says
I love making ricotta and fruit combinations in my bakes too. Makes the cake so much more richer right? This is perfect now that strawberries are in season.
Jolina says
Me too. I love baking with ricotta. And yay for strawberry season!
Michelle says
Spring on a plate. Seriously. SO gorgeous and perfect.
Alicia Vanatta says
This looks really good. I have not heard of this type of cake but am gonna have to try it soon. We love baking / making cakes in our home!
Marisa says
I am definitely saving this recipe to make once we get home. I like the idea of not so sweet and strawberries on top of the cake is always a favorite. I like the addition of the ricotta — it adds a richness to the dessert but it’s not overly sweet. Pinning.
Blair Villanueva says
This is definitely delicious and the cake looks soft and good in the mouth. You also awesomely captured its beauty in the camera! Saving this recipe for this Easter party!
Chelsea says
Strawberry desserts are one of my absolutely favourites, you can’t really go wrong with it can you? And this looks delicious, will definitely have to try it out
Jennifer Prince says
I never knew you could make cake with ricotta. It looks so delicious, and I love strawberries, too! 🙂
Stephanie says
A easy yummy recipe is right up my street. I’ve pinned this for future reference
suchi says
Love this recipe, definitely going to give this a try!
David Elliott says
I am a big fan of anything strawberry. And I wouldn’t have thought to use Ricotta in this way but it does look and sound delicious. I will have to try it out sometime soon. It really is too bad my daughter doesn’t really like strawberries.
Anna says
Ohhhhhh I’m craving strawberries these days so badly (30 weeks pregnant) and this recipe just seems heavenly…I think it’s going to be a long night tonight as I must bake it right now 🙂
Jolina says
Hope you like it!
Dawn says
It totally sucks when its, like, 12 am Saturday night only to realize, boom, it’s really, like 1 am….woomp woomp. I read the other day someone changing back their clocks earlier in the day…not a bad idea. Anywho – this cake looks delicious! I bet the ricotta certainly adds a richness to the cake! Plus, ricotta, am I right?? Hope you’re having a great week, Jolina!
Gigi says
Wow that looks pillowy soft and gorgeous! I know I would NOT be able to stop eating that!!!
Denise says
That looks so good as well as interesting. It looks like it’s a cross between cheesecake and a regular cake? I have to bring dessert to our Easter dinner so this would be perfect for that! I love ricotta these days and It think my family would love this. Great post!
Jolina says
That’s exactly what I thought about the texture! Cake/cheesecake. Hope you guys have a happy Easter.
Maria says
This cake looks so decadent and delicious. Strawberries are my favorite dessert fruits so this would be right up my alley.
Gloria says
This cake sounds so moist and delicious. I cannot wait for strawberry season and WARM weather….I am so sick of winter. This is the perfect brunch cake too. I would even eat this for breakfast….it counts right….after all it does contain fruit!!
Jolina says
It definitely counts as breakfast in my books 🙂
Anna says
I am loving these dessert recipes. They sound and look very yummy. Will love to try them.
HilLesha says
I have never had strawberry ricotta cake before, but it looks scrumptious. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Matthew says
This looks delicious and yummy, with this instructions will try this out with my wife
Laura Dove says
YUM!! That is my idea of a dessert! Love strawberries and obviously I love cake, this looks delicious!
Akamatra says
Oh yum this looks delicious. And it does in fact make the perfect spring dessert for Easter!
Ginger says
Oh wow, this looks super delicious. I am going to have to try making this soon. I love the combination of strawberries and ricotta.
laurie beth says
I had cheesecake at a friend’s house not too long ago and I think I should make this for our Masters Party we are hosting! She’d love it and I won’t be stuck eating the entire thing myself 😉
Sharon says
Yup, losing an hour of sleep is no fun. This cake recipe cheer me up abit. I’ve a soft spot for cakes and this looks yummy. I want a piece of the cake. Yum!
Amalia says
Anything with strawberry is already high on my taste bucket list! This looks like the best recipe ever for a Easter dessert. Will suggest this to my sister she loves to bake!
Alison Rost says
That looks really good. I think it’s a lovely cake to try. I’m sure it tastes amazing and it’s perfect with your favorite cup of coffee or tea! I’d love to keep the recipe!
Komal says
I am very much drooling over this recipe. Ricotta and strawberries are two of my faves! Maybe a cannoli like this?
Elizabeth says
This is perfect with coffee or tea. Actually I would eat this on its own yum!!
Neely Moldovan says
My husband loves ricotta cakes. I made him ricotta cupcakes recently and they were a huge hit. This sounds amazing!
Wendy says
Strawberries and cheese are two of my favorite things! I’d love to sample this cake and soon!
Iya - Louisa says
Sounds like such a good recipe! Would deffo try this, I know a few people who would like this!
Peter says
OMG I’m a sucker for a great ricotta cheese dessert recipe! So close to a marscapone yet stand alone as it is. Nothing says bring on spring like this fantastic cake! I think it’s on my menu this coming weekend!