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If you are looking for a dessert that perfectly balances sweet, tangy, and floral flavours, this Simple Blood Orange Ricotta Cake is going to be your new favourite bake!
When you hear the word “ricotta,” you might automatically think of savoury dishes like rich lasagna or fluffy gnocchi. But do not let the word “cheese” fool you! Ricotta is an Italian fresh cheese with a lightly sweet, moist curd texture. When folded into a cake batter, it acts as a magical ingredient that yields an incredibly soft, moist, and tender crumb. (My mom even loves using ricotta to make a European-style cheesecake that is phenomenally light rather than dense!)
The true star of this recipe is the blood orange. Its citrusy, tart flavour cuts through the richness of the ricotta beautifully. We even massage the orange zest directly into the sugar to ensure every single bite is infused with bright, natural citrus oils!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Incredibly Moist Texture: The full-fat ricotta cheese guarantees a soft, fluffy cake that will never dry out.
The “Rubbed Sugar” Technique: Taking 3 minutes to infuse your sugar with fresh orange zest completely elevates the flavour profile from a basic cake to a bakery-quality pastry.
A Show-Stopping Finish: Sliced blood oranges baked right onto the top surface create a gorgeous, rustic, stained-glass effect that requires zero fancy decorating skills!
Ingredients You Will Need
Gather your baking staples and some fresh winter citrus to bring this beautiful cake to life!
The Citrus & Sugar:
Blood Oranges: 5 medium-sized blood oranges. (If yours are very large, just use 3 or 4).
White Sugar: 1 cup.
The Zest: 4 teaspoons of freshly grated zest (pulled from 2 of your oranges).
The Wet Ingredients:
Ricotta Cheese: 2 cups at room temperature. (Highly recommend full-fat ricotta for the best flavour and texture!)
Eggs: 3 large eggs, at room temperature.
Unsalted Butter: ¾ cup, melted.
Whole Milk: ½ cup (3.25% M.F.), at room temperature.
Flavouring: 1 packet of vanilla sugar (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract).
The Dry Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour: 2 cups.
Leavening & Seasoning: 2 teaspoons baking powder and ¾ teaspoon Kosher or sea salt.
For the Pan & Garnish:
The Pan Release: 2 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter and 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour to coat your springform pan.
The Crunch (Optional): 1 teaspoon of coarse Turbinado sugar to sprinkle on top.
The Finish: 1 Tablespoon of icing sugar for dusting.
How to Make Blood Orange Ricotta Cake
Phase 1: Prep the Pan and Oranges
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) with the rack in the middle position.
The Pan Release: Brush a 10-inch springform pan with the 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. Add the 3 Tablespoons of flour and tap the pan around until the bottom and sides are completely coated. Invert the pan over the sink and tap out the excess flour.
Zest & Trim: Use a microplane to zest 2 of the oranges (set the zest aside). Then, take a sharp knife and completely cut the peel off all 5 oranges, ensuring you slice away all the bitter, white spongy pith.
Slice & Cube: Cut 3 of the peeled oranges into 1-inch cubes. Cut the remaining 2 oranges into ½-inch thick round slices. (Remove any seeds you find!)
Phase 2: Infuse the Sugar
Add the 1 cup of white sugar and the orange zest to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 3 minutes. This crucial step crushes the zest, infusing its natural oils directly into the sugar until it turns a faint, fragrant yellow!
Keeping the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate. (Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions). Increase the speed to medium and mix for another 2 minutes.
Add the ricotta cheese and the vanilla. Mix on medium-low for 1 minute until smooth. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
Phase 3: Fold by Hand
Switch to a spatula! Mixing the flour by hand prevents over-developing the gluten, keeping your cake soft and tender.
Place a large mesh strainer over the bowl. Add the flour and baking powder to the strainer and shake it through to sift the dry ingredients into the wet batter. Add the salt, and gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
Gently fold in the ¾ cup of melted butter.
Very gently fold in the 1-inch blood orange cubes, taking care not to overmix (which will discolor your batter!).
Finally, fold in the room-temperature whole milk until just combined.
Phase 4: Assemble and Bake
Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan and smooth it into an even layer.
Arrange the blood orange slices about 1 inch apart across the top of the batter, pressing them down lightly. Sprinkle the coarse turbinado sugar evenly over the top.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a skewer around the edge, then release the springform ring. Let it cool for another 15 to 20 minutes before dusting with icing sugar!
💡Pro Tips for the Perfect Cake
The Microplane Trick: When zesting an orange, gently rub the fruit against the microplane in a straight line no more than twice before rotating it! Dragging it too many times will cause you to grate into the “pith” (the white, spongy layer beneath the skin), which is incredibly bitter and will ruin the flavour of your sugar.
The Ultimate Pan Release: Forget cutting out perfectly sized circles of parchment paper! Brushing your pan with melted butter and tapping a light layer of flour over it is a classic bakery trick that guarantees your cake will never stick to the pan.
Why Turbinado Sugar? Turbinado (or raw) sugar has very large, coarse crystals. Unlike standard white or brown sugar, it will not instantly melt into the batter. Instead, it bakes on top of the cake, leaving behind a delicious crunch!
Serve it With…
This light, citrusy cake does not need much dressing up. It is phenomenal served completely on its own, with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, or paired with a warm beverage!
The Perfect Coffee Pairing: Pour yourself a hot cup of Roasted Hazelnut or El Salvador coffee! The nutty, warm, medium-roast notes of the coffee act as the ultimate contrast to the bright, tart citrus of the cake.
Soft Fluffy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls: Hosting an afternoon tea or brunch? Serve this sweet cake alongside a basket of these warm, savoury, and incredibly pillowy dinner rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
I can’t find blood oranges. What else can I use?
Blood oranges have a very short, specific winter season. If you cannot find them, you can absolutely substitute them with Cara Cara oranges, standard Navel oranges, or even Tangerines! Note: If the oranges you use are particularly tart, you may want to taste one first and slightly increase the white sugar in the batter by a tablespoon or two to balance the sourness.
Why must the ingredients be at room temperature?
Using room-temperature eggs, milk, and ricotta allows them to bind together effortlessly, trapping air to create a fluffy batter. If you use cold milk or cheese, the melted butter in the batter will instantly seize up and solidify into hard little chunks!
Brighten up your winter baking! Learn how to make a moist, tender, and incredibly fluffy Blood Orange Ricotta Cake using fresh citrus and full-fat cheese.
Servings 12servings
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Canadian, Italian
Ingredients
For the preparation
2Tablespoonsunsalted buttermelted
3Tablespoonsall-purpose flour
4teaspoonszest from 2 blood oranges
5mediumblood oranges (or Navel oranges)Trim off the peel, including the white pith, with a sharp knife.
Prep the Pan and Oven: Ensure your oven rack is placed on the middle shelf and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Brush a 10-inch springform pan with 2 Tablespoons of melted butter, covering the bottom and sides. Add the 3 Tablespoons of flour and tap the pan around to coat the entire surface. Invert the pan and tap out the excess flour.
Prep the Oranges: Zest 2 of the oranges with a microplane and set the zest aside. Trim the top and bottom off all 5 oranges. Cut away the peel and the white spongy pith completely, leaving just the fruit. Cut 3 of the oranges into 1-inch cubes. Slice the remaining 2 oranges into ½-inch thick round slices. Remove any seeds.
Infuse the Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 1 cup of white sugar and the orange zest. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 3 minutes until the zest’s natural oils are infused into the sugar, tinting it a faint yellow.
Mix the Wet Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, letting each fully incorporate before adding the next. (Scrape down the bowl as needed). Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add the room-temperature ricotta cheese and vanilla sugar/extract. Mix on medium-low for 1 minute.
Fold the Batter by Hand: Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Place a large mesh strainer over the bowl and add the flour and baking powder to it. Shake to sift the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the salt. Using a spatula, fold the ingredients together until just combined. Gently fold in the ¾ cup melted butter, followed by the cubed blood oranges. Finally, gently fold in the room-temperature milk.(Do not overmix!)
Assemble and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer. Arrange the blood orange slices about 1 inch apart on top of the batter, pressing them in lightly. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the surface. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a skewer along the edge, then release and remove the springform ring. Let the cake cool for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Dust with icing sugar using a mesh strainer, slice, and enjoy!
The Microplane Trick: When zesting an orange, gently rub the fruit against the microplane in a straight line no more than twice before rotating it! Dragging it too many times will cause you to grate into the “pith” (the white, spongy layer beneath the skin), which is incredibly bitter and will ruin the flavor of your sugar.
I can’t find blood oranges. What else can I use?Blood oranges have a very short, specific winter season. If you cannot find them, you can absolutely substitute them with Cara Cara oranges, standard Navel oranges, or even Tangerines! Note: If the oranges you use are particularly tart, you may want to taste one first and slightly increase the white sugar in the batter by a tablespoon or two to balance the sourness.Why must the ingredients be at room temperature?Using room-temperature eggs, milk, and ricotta allows them to bind together effortlessly, trapping air to create a fluffy batter. If you use cold milk or cheese, the melted butter in the batter will instantly seize up and solidify into hard little chunks!
I can’t find blood oranges. What else can I use?
Blood oranges have a very short, specific winter season. If you cannot find them, you can absolutely substitute them with Cara Cara oranges, standard Navel oranges, or even Tangerines! Note: If the oranges you use are particularly tart, you may want to taste one first and slightly increase the white sugar in the batter by a tablespoon or two to balance the sourness.
Why must the ingredients be at room temperature?
Using room-temperature eggs, milk, and ricotta allows them to bind together effortlessly, trapping air to create a fluffy batter. If you use cold milk or cheese, the melted butter in the batter will instantly seize up and solidify into hard little chunks!
