Do you love citrus fruit? Do you love blood oranges? If your answer is YES, you cannot miss this elegant upside-down cake. This Italian blood orange ricotta cake is moist, fluffy and I promise you EASY! It’s the perfect showstopper for your next gatherings. I must confess that this cake is one of my favorite as I am a real citrus lover, try this recipe and you will be surprised how citrus fruit can be so sweet and intense.
Like all Italian desserts, it’s light, soft and not overly sweet… But it will leave you fully satisfied. The caramel-like top is made in an easy way and the batter is enhanced with orange juice and orange zest, which will make your kitchen smells delicious – to not say it will make everyone ask for more!
Why you will love this recipe
– You’ll feel like you are eating blood oranges that have been picked from the tree, because the flavor is so deliciously intense.
– It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, yet it only takes an hour to prepare this citrus cake.
– The glossy finishing is what makes this cake stands out: the candied blood orange will shine and they will give a delicious caramel taste.
Blood Orange Ricotta Cake Ingredients and Variations
Blood oranges: the classic Mediterranean fruit, blood oranges are very popular in Sicily. I must confess that we were totally spoiled on our trip to Sicily, drinking freshly squeezed blood orange juice every day. Blood oranges have this darker color because they grow in soil that is rich in minerals. In Sicily, they grow on the slopes of the volcano Etna, which is why they have this color. This citrus fruit is rich in magnesium, potassium and vitamin C. You can read more about the health benefits of blood oranges.
You only need simple ingredients to make this delicious cake. Let us start with the 3 most important ingredients: whole eggs, butter and ricotta cheese. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. In this way they will disperse better.
The combination of all 3 ingredients makes this cake incredibly fluffy and airy! The fat in the eggs, butter, and ricotta makes the cake extra rich and soft, while the water in the beaten egg whites and ricotta makes for a moist batter. You can also substitute yogurt for the ricotta.
In addition to these 3 ingredients, you will need the classic 00 Italian flour or all-purpose flour and baking powder. Do not forget to use caster sugar for the dough and brown sugar for the topping.
In terms of substitution you can swap the butter with olive oil, in this case you will have a more citrusy flavor. You can remove 1/2 cup of the flour and sub it with almond flour for a lighter cake.
You can use other variety of oranges such as Navel or Cara Cara or mix them to obtain a colorful topping.
If you feel like adding spices, cardamon goes well with orange. In terms of nuts almonds, walnuts or poppy seeds will add a crunchy bite.
How to prepare the Italian Blood Orange Ricotta Cake
Grease a 7-inch springform pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper, making sure to grease the sides well. Prepare a slurry by mixing 3 1/4 tablespoons of brown sugar with ½ cup of water and spreading evenly over the bottom of the pan. Slice a blood orange, remove the end and place the slices in a circular motion on the bottom of the pan, on top of the slurry.
Set aside. Now take a medium bowl and whisk the eggs and ½ cup caster sugar together. Add the zest of one orange. Slowly melt the unsalted butter. Then gradually add the melted butter and add 4 tablespoons of ricotta and 1 cup of orange juice. In a separate bowl sift the yeast, flour and a pinch of salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until you get a soft dough,
Pour the dough into the springform pan.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 45 – 50 minutes. DO the toothpick mark to see if the cake is ready: the toothpick should come out slightly moist.
Finally, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 30-40 minutes.
Remove the sides of the springform. Place a plate on top of the cake and turn it upside down. Carefully remove the parchment paper and voila your cake is ready.
This recipe yield 7 slices of medium size.
More delicious recipes for you
EASY ITALIAN PEAR CAKE (TORTA DI PERE)
SMOKED SALMON FENNEL MANDARIN SALAD
COLORFUL ORANGE, FENNEL & BEET SALAD
Serving and Storing suggestions
We usually eat this orange cake as is with a cup of tea, coffee or a glass of milk. A good alternative is to serve this orange ricotta cake with some ricotta, sprinkled with honey and orange zest, or with some mascarpone.
This cake is also perfect for a Sunday dinner or a family gathering, because it looks so pretty that it could be the masterpiece on your table.
You can store this cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days if it lasts that long.
Which wine to Pair with Blood Orange Ricotta Cake
I recommend a Moscato d’Asti. Its citrus notes pair well with the cake and its bubbliness is nice to balance the creaminess of the ricotta in the cake.
Ingredients
To make the Orange Topping
- 1 unit blood orange sliced
- 3 1/4 tbsp sugar brown
- 1/2 cup water
To make the dough
- 1¾ cups flour 00 or all-purpose
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 unit eggs
- 6 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp ricotta semi skimmed
- 1 cup orange juice squeezed
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
To Make the Topping
- Grease a 7-inch springform pan with butter. Line the bottom with parchment paper, making sure to grease the sides well. Prepare a slurry by mixing 3 tablespoons of browns ugar with ½ cup of water and spreading evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Slice a blood orange, remove the end and place the slices in a circular motion on the bottom of the pan, on top of the slurry. Set aside.
Make the dough
- Take a medium bowl and whisk the eggs and ½ cup caster sugar together. Add the zest of one orange.
- Slowly melt the unsalted butter. Then gradually add the melted butter to the beaten eggs and sugar mixture. Add 4 tablespoons of ricotta and 1 cup of orange juice.
- In a separate bowl sift the yeast, flour and a pinch of salt . Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until you get a soft dough. Pour the dough into the springform pan.
- Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 355°F (180°C) 45 – 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out almost completely dry.
- Finally, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for about 30-40 minutes.
- Remove the sides of the springform. Place a plate on top of the cake and turn it upside down. Carefully remove the parchment paper and ecco fatto your cake is ready. Enjoy it!
Notes
- Serve this cake with a bit of whipped cream or a dollop of mascarpone.
- If you feel fancy, dust the cream with extra cinnamon.
Nutrition
Dolce veramente gradevole e gustoso