Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake

Some things are just meant to go together. Chocolate and peanut butter. Buster and Lucille Bluth. Blueberries and lemon. I had an awful lot of ricotta cheese on my hands after making my favorite vegetable tart, so I decided that it should be the vehicle for this delicious combination.

I was making this cake for dinner with friends, one of whom is a real blueberry lover, so I poured them on extra thick. It’s funny–I don’t often buy blueberries, or even think about them at all, despite the fact that they are probably one of the best foods for you, or so they say. I am not sure if they’re too tart for me or if I’m really just a cherry girl at heart, but in any case, this cake was a delectable reminder to me to consider the humble yet succulent blueberry on my grocery list.

In other happy news, I am in love with the structure of this cake and have already adapted it (Lemon thyme apricot! Coming soon!). The bottom layer is a dense white cake spiked with lemon, the fruit provides the middle layer, and the top is a tart and creamy ricotta-based cheesecake. Perfection. I love how the fruit becomes unmoored from its place and floats to the top of the cake, making little blueberry clouds in a ricotta sky.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake
Recipe from Kitchen Thymes

Batter
1 cup of Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
zest from one small lemon
1 1/2 cups of fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Topping
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups of ricotta cheese
1/3 cup of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Grease an 8 inch spring form pan.
-For the batter: In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the milk, butter, egg and vanilla, beating till smooth. Spoon the batter into a greased 8 inch pan. Sprinkle the blueberries over the batter.
-For the topping: In a small bowl, beat the eggs till frothy, then beat in the cheese, sugar and vanilla. Spread this mixture evenly over the blueberries.
-Bake the cake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until it’s golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool to lukewarm before serving.