Easter isn’t just about chocolate eggs or marshmallow peeps. Or even jelly beans or chocolate bunnies. Spring is blooming all around us, and we need to revel in it. And in cake. And thrill to raspberries. And whipped cream. And more raspberries.
Mr. Friday happened to look over my should as he passed through the studio the other day, when I was watching a video from the clever folks at Bon Appétit magazine. He immediately longed for this light, spring-y cake. And so it was baked.
It is easy peasy. I only had to shop for ricotta and for the raspberries. (I used frozen, because fresh were prohibitively expensive – $4.99 for a pint of fresh!) I used an 8-inch springform pan, because I haven’t unpacked the other cake pans yet. At least, I hope I have packed the other pans, and haven’t mislaid them. Nothing surprises me these days. This is easier than most cheesecake recipes, and very light. I have been sneaking small slices out of the fridge all week – they have made for a couple of very yummy breakfasts.
Raspberry Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
8 servings
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1½ cups ricotta
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup frozen raspberries or blackberries, divided
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9-inch-diameter cake pan with parchment paper. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk eggs, ricotta, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth; fold into dry ingredients just until blended. Then fold in the melted butter, followed by ¾ cup raspberries, taking care not to crush berries. Scrape batter into prepared pan and scatter remaining ¼ cup raspberries over top.
Bake cake until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50–60 minutes. Let cool at least 20 minutes before unmolding.
Here is the video which launched our Raspberry Ricotta Cake Experience:
https://video.bonappetit.com/watch/super-easy-raspberry-ricotta-cake
Now, if you have time on your hands, and really can’t think of anything better to do, you could make some homemade marshmallow peeps for your own Easter egg hunt. https://food52.com/blog/10116-how-to-make-homemade-marshmallow-peeps
No. Don’t do it. You really should get out in the garden instead of rolling confectionaries in bowls of colored sugars. Though I come from the school that believes that the best peeps are eaten a couple of weeks after Easter, when they have gotten a little stale, and crusty. (Hint: you have to poke a hole in the plastic wrap, otherwise I suspect peeps are like Hostess Twinkies and will never degrade by themselves. You have to encourage them.) Plus you can get Peeps on sale at the grocery store starting on Monday. And you can use this time instead to read a good book, and take a nap. Or maybe admire the tulips. Have a daydream. Perhaps even weed. Deadhead the daffodils.
“All gardening is landscape painting.”
-Alexander Pope
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