Big fan of kumquats? Not even sure what they really are? If you like oranges, and pretty much any citrus fruits, you’ll be pretty happy with this ricotta cake with kumquat marmalade.
Ricotta Cake with Kumquat Marmalade
So, back to the kumquats for a second. I wasn’t super familiar with the fruit. I knew they were basically very tiny oranges, but I wasn’t sure if I’d ever had one on its own. Claire Saffitz’s new cookbook, Dessert Person, has a recipe for a ricotta cake with kumquat marmalade that looks pretty tasty. The kumquats are this bright yellow-orange color and look great as a cake topper. Since they are a winter fruit, it was the best time to give this cake a try.
The ricotta cake is a perfect vehicle for any fruit topping. The cake is great on its own but doesn’t have any distinct flavors so the marmalade sweetens it up. The cake is a mixture of all kinds of textures. It’s somehow light and fluffy, but also kinda creamy from the ricotta. Claire’s recipe uses a food processer to get a super smooth whipped ricotta based, but getting mine down at the time was just a process that I decided to skip. I don’t think it made a true difference in the end product, but it probably would have made the cake even lighter.
Winter Kumquats
On their own kumquats are kind of tangy and tart. In the marmalade, they sweeten up quite a bit and lose the sour flavor. If you have some extra, I would save it and use it as a spread on some toast. Kumquats are a winter citrus fruit, so if you find yourself wanting to make this cake in July, just go with what fruit is in season. The marmalade is basically just cooking down the fruit with some sugar and lemon juice, so pretty much anything seasonal can be subbed in. Strawberries, peaches, plums, figs (must try figs in August!!)
This is one of those good cake recipes you want to have around because it can be put together rather quickly and pretty much anything can be thrown on top. Some ice cream works too if you run out of fruit! Check out the recipe below and let me know what topping you are using!
Ricotta Cake with Kumquat Marmalade
Course: DessertDifficulty: Medium8
servings40
minutes45
minutesThis Ricotta Cake with Kumquat Marmalade is great for any occasion. The cake is subtle in flavor and sweetens up with the kumquat marmalade.
Ingredients
- Ricotta Cake
2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta (16 oz)
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
- Kumquat Marmalade
8 oz kumquats, halved, crossed and seeded, sliced again if big
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and prepare a 9-inch springform pan. Butter the bottom of the pan, but not the sides, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a medium-sized bowl with a hand mixer, mix the ricotta cheese and heavy cream together until very thick. Mix for about 1 minute until the mixture is super thick but smooth. (This can also be done in a food processor)
- Add in the 5 egg yolks, lemon zest, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup sugar to the cheese mixture. Mix together until smooth, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined. It should look like a thicker batter. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Clean your stand mixer (if that’s what you were using) and whip the egg whites using a whisk attachment or use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites. Beat the egg whites on a medium-low speed to start and then increase the speed to form soft peaks. When soft peaks begin to form in the egg whites, add in the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Continue whipping the eggs until they have quadrupled in size and have stiff peaks. This should take about 2-4 minutes after adding in the sugar. They should be kinda shiny as well.
- Fold the egg whites into the ricotta batter mixture using a flat spatula. Gently fold in the mixture as to not let out all of the air in the eggs.
- Fill the prepared pan with batter and make sure it has a smooth finish on top. Place in the oven for about 40-45 minutes, or until the edges start to go a golden brown. The cake will probably still look underdone when it’s done because of the type of cake that it is. It will still be a little wobbly in the middle. Let it cool completely, whee it will fall down in the middle, which is what you want to happen!
- While the cake is cooling make the marmalade. In a saucepan, add the cut kumquats, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and 2 tbsp water to a boil. Once at a boil, let the mixture simmer at medium-low heat until it comes to a thick consistency like syrup and the kumquats look mostly translucent. This should take about 15-20 minutes. Let it cool when done.
- When everything is completely cool, take the cake out of the pan and place the marmalade on top of the cake. The cake will last 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Did you make this recipe?! Let me know and share it on Instagram. Tag @crispcrumble and use the hashtag #crispandcrumble.
