I really like apple cakes, and frankly, fruit cakes are my favorite in general. Fruit cakes always make such great desserts – they are light and perfect for hot summer days, and above all – they are so easy to make. Simply mix a few ingredients in a bowl, baking and you get a beautiful, hard to resist delicious cake that can be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
The combination of apples and ricotta cheese has become one of my favorites over the past year, and this is how the next cake was thought of. This is a ricotta apple cake with streusel topping that is delicate, light and fragrant. It is very easy to make and you can definitely make it with other fruits just as well.
Ricotta Apple Cake with Streusel Topping
For the ricotta apple cake:
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 200 grams (1 cup) sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 250 grams (1 cup) ricotta cheese
- 30 ml. (2 tbsp.) milk
- 60 grams (1/2 stick) melted butter ( at room temperature)
- 280 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3 large Granny Smith apples
- 150 grams dark raisins or dried blueberries
For the streusel topping:
- 40 grams (3 tbsp.) cold butter (cut into cubes)
- 50 grams (5 tbsp.) all-purpose flour
- 30 grams (3 tbsp.) light brown sugar
For decoration:
- Sugar powder
Ricotta apple cake:
- Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan.
- In a bowl of a mixer with a whipping attachment, put eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt and beat at high speed until you get a fluffy, airy and bright mixture.
- Lower the mixer speed and add in the ricotta, milk and melted butter gradually until incorporated, slowly whisking.
- Add flour and baking powder and mix until you get a uniform batter.
- Peel the apples and cut into small cubes, about 2*2 cm in size.
- Pour half of the batter into the pan and sprinkle with the apple cubes and raisins or blueberries in an even layer.
- Over the apples slowly pour the rest of the batter and straighten the top.
Streusel topping:
- In a medium bowl place butter, flour and sugar and crumb it together with your hands until you get delicate crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the cake.
- Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until it is golden and set, and a skewer inserted in its center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
- Remove from the pan, place on a serving plate and decorate with powdered sugar.
- The cake is kept in a closed container in the refrigerator for 6-7 days.
- It is recommended to serve the cake warm or at room temperature then it is in the ideal texture.
- Instead of apples you can use pears, peaches, plums or nectarines.
- Instead of raisins, you can use cranberries or dried blueberries in the same amount.
- If you like, add some cinnamon to the cake.