Ricotta plum cake is an Italian inspired coffeecake baked up with juicy plums and fluffy ricotta cheese in the batter. This late summer breakfast cake is a joy!
ricotta plum cake
I adapted this recipe from my friend Jennifer’s blog, Seasons & Suppers. This delicious cake is unusual in several ways. It doesn’t require any oil or butter, and the only ‘liquid’ in the recipe comes from the eggs. Ricotta cheese enriches the batter, and the texture? It’s like a cross between a pound cake and a cheesecake, what’s not to love?
late summer plums explode with flavor
Plums are a joy to bake with because cooking them ever so slightly brings out vivid flavors and colors in the fruit. A raw plum is delicious, but the baked fruit is incredible, and that tart flavor brightens every bite of this pretty cake. I use black plums, which aren’t really black, but a deep reddish purple.
what you’ll need
- plums, ripe but firm. I used black plums, which are a deep purple on the outside and yellow inside. Any type of plum will work in this cake, but be sure they’re not too ripe or too juicy. Plums straight from the produce aisle will be perfect.
- ricotta cheese ~ use full fat ricotta (remember the cake contains no butter or oil)
- all purpose flour
- sugar ~ both granulated and a little confectioner’s for dusting
- eggs ~ large
- sliced almonds
- baking powder and salt
- vanilla and almond extract ~ why both? Hints of both flavors work really well with the plums in this cake.
ricotta cake faqs
No not at all! Ricotta is a fresh cheese with no ‘cheesy’ flavor, it’s more of a milk product than a cheese, in this application.
No, ricotta has a specific texture that is needed for this cake.
Sure! Try other stone fruit, or berries. Fresh figs would be nice in fall.
No, this one can be left on the counter, loosely covered, for a few days.
No, it’s not at all sweet, but, like mascarpone cheese and cream cheese, it lends itself well to baking in cakes and other desserts. Check out my Honey Roasted Plums with Fresh Ricotta!
Yes, it’s super simple, I have a recipe for homemade ricotta here.
If you have leftover ricotta cheese you might use it in scrambled eggs, an omelette, a quiche or fritatta. I love to add ricotta to simple pasta dishes. I use ricotta to make a whipped basil ricotta dip for veggies.
Ricotta cakes are tall, and somewhat dense, and in this case there is extra moisture from the fruit topping. It needs extra time to cook through. If your cake seems to be browning too quickly, lay a piece of foil loosely over the top.
more plums, please
- Cardamom Plum Crumble Bars
- Easy Plum Amaretto Sorbet
- Roasted Plums with Ice Cream
- Grilled Plumcot Salad with Toasted Walnut Vinaigrette
- Vanilla Almond Plum Crumble
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Ricotta Plum Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
- 6 ripe but firm plums (you might need more or less depending on size)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (plus extra for sprinkling on the top before baking)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup full fat ricotta cheese
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1-2 Tbsp sliced almonds
- confectioner's sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
- Slice your plums into thin slices. You'll need enough to cover the top of your cake.
- Beat together the sugar, eggs, and extracts until light and smooth. Beat in the ricotta.
- Blend in the baking powder, salt, and flour, mixing just until well combined.
- Turn the batter into your prepared pan and top with the sliced plums.
- Sprinkle the almonds over the top of the plums. I like to sprinkle a little more granulated sugar over the almonds, which gives the top an extra crunch.
- Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until just cooked through in the center. Use a toothpick to check for wet batter. As ovens and pans vary, your baking time may differ from mine. Check your cake on the early side.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then run a thin spreading knife around the edges to loosen them. Remove the outer ring.
- If you want to dust the cake with powdered sugar, wait until it has cooled.
Nutrition
Followed recipe exactly. The texture was very disappointing – dense and gummy. Might benefit from 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp seems low.
I’m a long term baker and love the idea of a Ricotta Plum cake. I made this cake twice, thinking I made a mistake in measurements. The first one wouldn’t set in the middle so I baked for an hour and forty minutes. The result was overdone on the outside and bottom, and set in the middle. The second one again wouldn’t set in the middle, I baked for an hour and twenty minutes, it was done on the outside, but mushy in the middle. I looked for other recipes, and they all have different measurements. I may try another.
Do you think this could be frozen for later use?
Yes, for sure.
Easy and lovely. Used figs because I have too many. Against your advice used part skim ricotta. Still good but I know it would have been better with full fat. Next time will do as written with full fat ricotta and with plums. Tastes better on day 2.
You know I’m always looking for new ideas for figs, they tempt me every time I see them. I think figs would be amazing in this cake, note taken!
Hi Sue! I have some frozen Italian plums (sliced) in the freezer. Do you think they would work on this cake? Thanks!
I think that should work Kathy, but be aware that this is a very moist cake, and it’s possible frozen fruit will release a bit more moisture than fresh. Let us know how it turns out!