Each scrumptious bite of this zesty orange ricotta cake is packed with the fresh, vibrant flavor of oranges. Its delicate, soft texture is credited to the addition of ricotta cheese!
When it comes to my favorite cheeses, ricotta ranks pretty high on my list. For a while, I would actually make my own ricotta cheese from scratch! The love for ricotta was strong lol! When I was deciding what flavors I wanted this cake to be, ricotta cheese quickly came to mind. Why? Well, put simply, ricotta cheese in bakes, specifically cakes, provide for the most melt in your mouth tender crumb texture. Normally, ricotta bakes are paired with lemons, but I wanted to switch things up and went with oranges instead. Best decision EVER!! The sweet, fragrant flavor of oranges pairs so perfectly with the delicate, soft texture of this cake making for the most scrumptious bites of deliciousness. If you are a lover of citrus bakes and desserts, this zesty orange ricotta cake will undoubtedly become a new favorite!!
(NOTE: The full recipe with exact measurements is down at the bottom of this post in the recipe card!)
How to Make Zesty Orange Cake
Zesty Orange Ricotta Cake
Key Ingredients
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- Fresh Orange Juice
- Unsalted Butter
- Neutral Flavored Oil i.e. Avocado/Vegetable Oil
- Vanilla Extract
- Orange Zest
To Make Zesty Orange Ricotta Cake
- Preheat – oven to 350F(175C). Grease and line a bread/loaf baking pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk – in a medium mixing bowl, add and whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Incorporate – in the bowl of a stand mixer/large mixing bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Use a fork or your fingertips (my preferred method) to incorporate the zest into sugar until sugar takes on a light orange tint and the fragrance of an orange, about 1 minute.
- Cream – the orange infused sugar, butter, and oil together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer at medium high speed until mixture takes on a pale yellow, slightly thickened appearance (about 2-3 minutes).
- Mix – in the vanilla extract and ricotta cheese into butter mixture until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Beat – the eggs into wet batter one at a time. The initial egg should be fully incorporated into batter before the next egg is added and mixed in. Stop mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl to catch any unmixed ingredients.
- Mix – starting and ending with the flour mixture, mix half of the flour mixture into wet batter, followed by the orange juice and ending with the remaining flour mixture at low speed, about 1-2 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl before giving cake batter a final mix at medium speed for 30-60 seconds. This will help ensure a smooth, properly mixed batter.
- Transfer – zesty orange ricotta cake batter into prepared baking pan and smooth out batter using the back of a spatula.
- Bake – zesty orange ricotta cake batter for 50-60 minutes rotating the pan halfway through bake time. Zesty orange ricotta cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool – allow zesty orange ricotta cake to cool in baking pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Cake needs to be fully cooled before glaze is poured on.
Orange Glaze
Key Ingredients
- Confectioners’ (Powdered) Sugar
- Fresh Orange Juice
To Make Orange Glaze
- Whisk – in a large mixing bowl, add the confectioners’ (powdered) sugar. Whisk in the fresh orange juice until a smooth, thick but pourable glaze is achieved.
Bring It All Together – Zesty Orange Ricotta Cake
- Glaze – place zesty orange ricotta cake on serving platter of choice and pour orange glaze over the top to coat. Allow glaze to set for 5 -10 minutes before garnishing cake with herbs and fresh, dried, or candied orange slices (optional).
How To Store Zesty Orange Ricotta Cake
- Refrigeration – leftover zesty orange ricotta cake stored in an airtight container will last 1-3 days in the fridge.
- Freezer – leftover zesty orange ricotta cake stored in a freezer-safe airtight container will last 1-3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, simply thaw in the fridge overnight to restore soft texture.
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If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know by tagging me @nourishedendeavors on Instagram or by leaving a comment in the comment section down below so I can find out how this recipe turned out for you! If you have any questions, ask away! I would love to answer your questions! Happy baking!
PrintZesty Orange Ricotta Cake
Each scrumptious bite of this zesty orange ricotta cake is packed with the fresh, vibrant flavor of oranges. Its delicate, soft texture is credited to the addition of ricotta cheese!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Zesty Orange Ricotta Cake
- 2 Cups (250 g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 Cup (150 g) Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs, Room Temperature
- 6 oz (168 g) Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, Room Temperature
- 3 oz (6 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
- 1/4 Cup (60 ml) Fresh Orange Juice, Room Temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) Neutral Flavored Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Heaping Teaspoons Orange Zest
Orange Glaze
- 1 1/4 Cups (138 g) Confectioners’ (Powdered) Sugar
- 4–5 Teaspoons Fresh Orange Juice
Assembly
- Fresh Herbs i.e. Rosemary/Mint (optional)
- Fresh, Dried, or Candied Slices of Oranges (optional)
Instructions
Zesty Orange Ricotta Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F(175C). Grease and line a bread/loaf baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add and whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer/large mixing bowl, add the sugar and orange zest. Use a fork or your fingertips (my preferred method) to incorporate the zest into sugar until sugar takes on a light orange tint and the fragrance of an orange, about 1 minute.
- Cream the orange infused sugar, butter, and oil together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with an electric hand mixer at medium high speed until mixture takes on a pale yellow, slightly thickened appearance (about 2-3 minutes).
- Mix in the vanilla extract and ricotta cheese into butter mixture until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Next, beat the eggs into wet batter one at a time. The initial egg should be fully incorporated into batter before the next egg is added and mixed in.
- Stop mixer and use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl to catch any unmixed ingredients.
- Starting and ending with the flour mixture, mix half of the flour mixture into wet batter, followed by the orange juice and ending with the remaining flour mixture at low speed, about 1-2 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and base of the bowl before giving cake batter a final mix at medium speed for 30-60 seconds. This will help ensure a smooth, properly mixed batter.
- Transfer zesty orange ricotta cake batter into prepared baking pan and smooth out batter using the back of a spatula.
- Bake zesty orange ricotta cake batter for 50-60 minutes rotating the pan halfway through bake time. Zesty orange ricotta cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow zesty orange ricotta cake to cool in baking pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Cake needs to be fully cooled before glaze is poured on.
Orange Glaze
- In a large mixing bowl, add the powdered (confectioners’) sugar. Whisk in the fresh orange juice until a smooth, thick but pourable glaze is achieved. (I recommend starting with 3 teaspoons of fresh orange juice and whisking in additional juice 1/2 teaspoon at time until desired consistency is reached. I went for a thicker glaze and used a total of 4 teaspoons but for a thinner glaze, use the full 5 teaspoons of fresh orange juice.)
Assembly
- Place zesty orange ricotta cake on serving platter of choice and pour orange glaze over the top to coat.
- Allow glaze to set for 5-10 minutes before topping glazed cake with fresh herbs and slices of oranges (fresh, dried or candied), optional.
Notes
- I used navel oranges in zesty orange ricotta cake but any variety of oranges will work. Some great options include cara cara oranges, valencia oranges or blood oranges.
- Leftover zesty orange ricotta cake that has been sliced and stored in an airtight container will last 1-3 days in the fridge and 1-3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat frozen zesty orange ricotta cake, simply thaw in the fridge overnight to restore soft texture.
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Sandy H.
Hello! This looks wonderful! Just discovered your blog and I’m looking forward to trying your recipes.
nourished endeavors
Hi Sandy, thank you so much! I’m so happy that you discovered my blog!