Ricotta Pistachio Cake

5 from 4 votes

This delicious Ricotta Pistachio Cake combines ricotta cheese, pistachios, vanilla and almond extract, and lemon. It's moist, flavorful and perfect for any occasion!

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: pieces

Calories: 484kcal

Author: Natalie

Equipment

Ingredients

Ricotta Pistachio Cake

½ cup unsalted butter melted or browned, cooled slightly
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons lemon zest from about 1/2 a lemon
1½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese room temperature
3 large eggs room temperature
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup pistachios measure whole, then chop or place in food processor til very finely chopped, almost ground, plus more for decorating (optional)

Decoration

powdered sugar for dusting
pistachios ground or chopped, for decorating
lemon zest optional

Instructions

Melt or brown the butter. To brown the butter, start by melting the butter in a large light colored nonstick pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once it begins to bubble, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter into a heat safe bowl, making sure the scrape the bottom of the pan for all the bits. Allow to cool slightly.
Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan with baking non stick spray. Place a round of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Lightly spray the parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
Grind or finely chop the pistachios in a food processor.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk to combine the all-purpose flour, ground pistachios, baking powder, sugar and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, lemon zest, almond extract and vanilla extract til well combined.
Use a spatula to fold the whisked dry ingredients into the wet ingredients til just blended. Stir in the melted butter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure it's well combined, but avoid overmixing.
Spoon batter into the prepared springform pan .Bake for 38-45 minutes until an inserted toothpick into the center of the cake comes out clean. If you find the edges or top of the cake is browning too quickly, loosely top it with aluminum foil.
Allow cake cool for at least 20 minutes before releasing it from the springform pan. Allow to cool completely. Dust cooled cake with powdered sugar and top with chopped pistachios. Zest some lemon zest over the powdered sugar.

Video

Notes

Ricotta cheese: Use whole milk ricotta. The extra fat found in whole milk ricotta makes this cake extra moist. Make sure the ricotta cheese is room temperature. You don't need to strain it before using.

Butter: Use unsalted butter. Butter can be melted or browned. Brown butter is butter that is melted and cooked gently. It has a toasty, nutty flavor. Use a light colored nonstick pan to brown the butter. A light colored pan helps you best see the color changes of the butter.

Pistachios: I recommend raw, pre-shelled pistachios. Roasted salted or unsalted pistachios can also be used. I recommend buying pre-shelled pistachios to save time. Measure the shelled pistachios first before chopping or grinding them. A food processor works best for chopping them, but you can also use a knife. Chop or pulse them til finely chopped, almost ground.

Storage: Keep the cake in an air tight container or wrap it well. It can be stored up to two days at room temperature. After two days, it’s a good idea to refrigerate it.

Nutrition