Apple Ricotta Cake is a delicious way to celebrate apple season. Although lemon is the traditional flavour for a ricotta cake, the apples worked beautifully. This cake is moist and tender, and not too sweet, with loads of apple flavour.
What is Ricotta Cake?
A ricotta cake is an Italian dessert, usually made with semolina or almond flour. My best description is that it's somewhere between a cheesecake and a pound cake. Its texture is dense, yet tender, and has a nice crumb, so it slices beautifully into perfect wedges.
Using Almond Meal
You can certainly make this cake with all-purpose or semolina flour, but this recipe is using almond meal, which is simply finely ground almonds. I like the flavour that the almond meals gives the cake, and it means that this apple ricotta cake is gluten-free.
What does Ricotta Cake Taste Like?
This apple ricotta cake tastes, obviously, like apples and cinnamon. Along with the almond flavour from the flour, there is a creamy, cheesy flavour from the ricotta. All in all, it's a beautiful combo.
What is Ricotta?
Ricotta is a mild, creamy white cheese with a texture like a very fine curd cottage cheese. It is a common ingredient in savory Italian recipes, like this Perfect Meat Lasagna, but also in dessert recipes, like cannoli. In desserts, ricotta goes well with chocolate, fruit, and honey.
And did you know, it's really easy to make your own homemade ricotta? Check it out here: How to Make Homemade Ricotta.
Can You Substitute Cottage Cheese for For The Ricotta in This Cake?
For this cake, I prefer not to substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta. Although it tastes similar, ricotta is richer and creamier than cottage cheese. However, you can substitute cottage cheese in this recipe, if you want to. But because it has a much larger curd than ricotta, put the cottage cheese into the blender for a few seconds before using it.
How To Enjoy Apple Ricotta Cake
This simple cake is perfect just as is with coffee or tea, and because it isn't overly sweet, you can even have it for breakfast. The almonds and cheese pack a nice protein hit to start the day.
As a dessert, you can drizzle the cake with salted caramel, honey, or top it with macerated fruit.
And, if you love apple desserts, you may also want to try Apple Walnut Spice Cake or Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp.
How to Store Your Cake
Store your cake well wrapped at room temperature for up to two days. It will last longer in the fridge, but the texture will become denser. You can also freeze the cake for up to three months if properly wrapped. It's nice to freeze some in individual portions for coffee breaks.
Want to do More Gluten-Free Baking?
Try some of these mouthwatering goodies:
- Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe
- Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
- Pumpkin Pecan Muffins (Gluten-Free)
- Cherry Almond Clafoutis (Gluten Free)
Apple Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs large
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 cups ricotta cheese whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups almond meal or almond flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 4 apples
- 4 tbsp brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and prepare a 9" spring form pan by spraying with cooking spray
- Slice the apples into thin slices
- Combine eggs, sugar, ricotta and vanilla in a large mixing bowl
- Stir in oil, salt, and cinnamon
- Gradually stir in almond meal and baking powder, mixing until combined
- Fold in slices of three of the apples
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan
- Arrange slices of the fourth apple on top of the cake, then sprinkle with brown sugar
- Bake in center of oven 60 minutes, or until apple slices are browned, and a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Made exactly as written with Gala apples and LOVED it! So apple-y! 😉 And the olive oil flavor came through nicely. My only change for next time will be to coarsely chop the apples that go in the cake. Even thinly sliced, the apples in the cake were big and bulky looking and hard to cut through. Thanks for sharing this keeper. As someone with Celiac I'm always on the lookout for a good gluten free recipe....I also found the cherry clafoutis recipe on your site and am looking forward to trying that one day. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Janice. I'm so happy that you loved this cake. It's a favorite at my house. Great tip about chopping the apples. I use a mandolin to slice them super thin, but not everyone has one. You will love the cherry clafoutis recipe, and you can find a lot of gluten-free recipes here. Thanks for coming back to drop a note. 😊
Apples and almond flour in a delicious cake is definitely a lovely combination! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
You're so welcome, Lisa!
Nothing better than cake that you can eat for breakfast! Delicious 😋
I agree, Vanessa!
What a gorgeous looking cake! Ricotta is such a delicious ingredient to add, I'll bet it tastes amazing!
Great looking cake Colleen...so perfect for any fall celebration. Ricotta cakes really have a wonderful texture to them.
Thanks so much, Bernice! We love this cake!
How beautiful is this cake Colleen and best that its gluten free too!
Hi Shy, Thank you! Gluten-free can be so yummy, right?
Such a tender and moist cake! It's a favourite recipe in our house!
Thanks, Elaine! So happy that you love this recipe!
This looks absolutely decadent, Colleen! I would have never thought to combine these seasonal ingredients in this way -- what an inventive recipe. Beautiful work!
Thanks so much, Justine! Hope you give this recipe a try!
Looking forward to trying but seriously - why do people rate a recipe they haven't made?? Makes it really hard to figure out what people think of the recipe.
This cake sounds delicious! I know I'd love it as I made a similar cake yesterday but not with ricotta! I wish I had some left and I'd love to try this one too.
Corina, ricotta really makes this cake special. Definitely give this recipe a try!
Loved enjoying this with my cup of coffee! It is delicious and moist, and love that it is gluten-free so my whole family can enjoy it.
So glad to hear that you loved it, Alexandra!
Wow! What a decadent dessert and perfect for fall! Looking forward to enjoying this all season long!
This cake is great any time of year, Sara, but it's so ideal for the fall, I agree. Enjoy!
This slice of cake will surely go well with my cup of Tea. Looks delicious and moist.
Veena, this is a perfect slice with a cup of tea or coffee, promise!
I have never tried ricotta cheese for baking desserts, although I have swapped ricotta for cottage cheese and it seems to work just as well. Thanks for the tip.
Hi Whitney. Ricotta is amazing for desserts, hope you give it a try!