Classic Italian Ricotta Cake with Pears

This moist and flavorful Italian ricotta cake with pears is a simple, classic Italian cake recipe that's all dressed up for fall. This traditional Italian cake combines the richness of ricotta cheese, tender, juicy pears, along with a hint of bright, citrusy orange zest and just a touch of rosemary for a subtle, yet unique, flavor. This easy cake recipe is a beautiful fall dessert that's perfect for any occasion, from holidays and special celebrations to casual days at home.

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You'll never find me making an elaborate, multi-layer cake, but I love throwing together a simple, un-fussy fruit-studded cake, like a lemon blueberry pound cake, a rhubarb almond cake or the famous New York Times plum torte. 

This fun take on a traditional Italian dessert is easily one of my favorite cakes to bake when the weather outside gets crisp. It's the perfect cake for making on a lazy fall afternoon to snack on throughout the day, but it's elegant enough to serve to company. 

Italian ricotta cake is a classic, typically flavored with lemon or almond extract, but it's a great base recipe to play around with. I added sliced pears, orange zest and pinch of fresh rosemary to give it a really nice seasonal fall vibe, but you can easily switch up the fruit and flavorings to match whatever season you're in. 

The addition of ricotta cheese creates a moist crumb with a delightful chew, while the pears add a light, juicy freshness. I love using ricotta in desserts, like a simple cannoli filling to a traditional ricotta pie or ricotta based Italian cheesecake. 

The holidays are synonymous with pies in my family, but if your family consists of more cake people than pie people, consider baking up this Italian ricotta pear cake for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year. After all the pomp of the turkey or holiday roast, this cake is the perfect treat to end the night right. 

It's simple, seasonal, not-too-sweet and has the best texture with a slightly chewy, yet tender crumb thanks to the richness of the ricotta. 

Helpful Equipment

• Electric Mixer - While you can totally mix this recipe by hand, a hand-held electric mixer or stand mixer will make your life a whole lot easier. 
• Cake Pan - You will need a 9-inch round cake pan to bake this cake. I use a springform pan to make it easy to remove, but any cake pan will work. 
• Rubber Spatula - This is essential for scraping down the sides of the bowl to help the batter mix better. 
• Parchment Paper - You'll want to line your cake pan with parchment before adding the cake batter so that it removes easily and doesn't stick to the pan. 
• Wire Rack - This is helpful for cooling the cake down, but is not essential. 

Step by step instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease the inside of a 9 inch cake pan and line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment to cream together room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes on medium speed. 
3. Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. 

Tip: and scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often to ensure the ingredients are incorporated evenly.

4. Next, mix in the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla extract, orange zest, rosemary and salt. It's normal for the mixture to be a bit lumpy due to the ricotta.
5. Gradually incorporate the flour and baking powder into the cake batter on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth out the top.

7. Arrange the pears over top of the batter however you like, then sprinkle with Demerara sugar. 
8. Bake in the center of the oven for about 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
9. Allow the cake to cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to let the cake cool completely. 
10. Serve while it's still a bit warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. 

Variations

The beauty of this ricotta cake is in its versatility. You can easily swap out the pears for another fruit of your choice. It's great with apples, peaches, plums, or fresh berries.

You can also change up the flavor by using lemon zest instead of orange for an easy lemon ricotta cake. If you love lemon flavor, consider adding a little bit of lemon juice or lemon extract for an even more intensely flavored lemon cake. 

If you love almond flavor, try swapping out the vanilla extract for almond extract to make an almond ricotta cake instead. 

Serving Suggestions

This Italian ricotta cake is delicious on its own, but you can drizzle with a simple glaze or icing for more sweetness. You can also serve it with additional fruit on the side, like more sliced pears, apples, orange slices or these sparkly sugared cranberries for a dazzling holiday presentation! 

I like serving this cake with a dollop of whipped cream, but if you have extra sour cream or ricotta leftover from the recipe, you can use that instead. I like to sweeten mine with a little bit of sugar and vanilla, but you can add some additional orange zest or orange liquor to enhance the cake's subtle flavor. 

The best way to serve this Italian ricotta cake with pears is slightly warm or at room temperature, If you make it advance and refrigerate for later, make sure you let it sit out for a few hours before serving.  

This is the perfect Italian dessert to serve after a big Italian dinner, and is lovely enjoyed as a simple afternoon treat with coffee or tea.

FAQ

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