Ricotta Apricot Almond Cake
How this cake came to be, from Brittany to the hills of Naples.
Today’s recipe celebrates apricot season in the form of a billowy, moist and incredibly flavorful ricotta almond cake. This is a simple one-bowl cake recipe that yields a dense and creamy texture with a wonderful mix of smooth ricotta, nutty flavor and tangy apricots.
The inspiration behind this cake…
This cake is a cross between a classic Italian Ricotta Cake and a French Amandier cake, which is a fondant almond cake often studded with apricots in the Summer. I've been toying with the idea of creating this hybrid cake ever since our vacation in Naples, Italy, last August - a region renowned for its love of ricotta.
During our stay in this loud and hectic city (made all the more intense by an August heatwave), we yearned for an escape from the city, so we booked an experience with Domenico, a local cheesemaker living in the northern hills of Naples. We spent the afternoon with him learning how to make mozzarella, ricotta, and scamorza. At one point, he gave us cups full of fresh ricotta he had just made in front of our eyes. It was still warm, utterly smooth, and undeniably the best ricotta we have ever tasted!
We ended the day with the most fantastic dinner with his family, set in his garden between Almafi lemon trees, cherry tomato plants and a lively chicken coop. His older sister taught us how to make Friselle: stale slices of Frisella bread, submerged in salted water for a few seconds to soften, and then topped with sliced onion, cucumber, tomatoes, fresh basil, olives and mozzarella – all doused with a heavy hand of olive oil.
And as if things couldn’t get even more delicious, his youngest sister whipped up individual cups of lemon ricotta tiramisu for dessert, drenched in Limoncello. Oh, what a meal, and a what a lifelong memory!
For our next few days in Naples, we continued to experience some amazing ricotta treats, including the best Pastiere (ricotta tarts) and flaky Sflogliatelle stuffed with warm ricotta, which we ate every morning at the lively Caffe’ Ciorfito – a breakfast spot I cannot recommend enough if you’re ever in Naples.
After that trip, I came home with a renewed passion for ricotta! And I spent the last year amping up my ricotta consumption – simply on its own with some lemon zest, as well as incorporated into baked goods as well.
As for the French part of this cake, I’ve always had a fondness for Amandiers, which are dense French cakes made from ground almonds. I especially love them when they’re studded with seasonal apricots, as they bring a sharp tang against the rich, nutty cake crumb.
At our local market, there is a charming shop that offers the most exquisite Amandier cakes you will ever taste. Each week, we indulge in a piece to share, and every bite is a moment of pure delight. Depending on the season, these cakes are adorned with pears, raspberries, blueberries, or my personal favorite, apricots.
As I mused over the thought of crafting my own Amandier cake at home, with my own twist, an idea blossomed in my mind – ricotta, of course!
So here it is, a merging of memorable eating experiences, from Naples to Brittany, colliding into this Ricotta Apricot Almond Cake, for you today.
As a sincere thank you to paid subscribers for being here, here’s today’s recipe!
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