Easy Pistachio Ricotta Cake Italians Are Crazy About!

Italian pistachio ricotta cake is a fluffy cheesecake that is a happy friend after brunch, at teatime, or with breakfast coffee. The cake is made by creaming the butter and folding it into ricotta and almond flour. The pistachio topping makes it even more delicious, which is why Italians are crazy about it!

I love to eat this Italian pistachio pie with a cup of joe in the morning. It goes well at brunch or whenever you crave homemade pistachio cheesecake. It is much better to make it at home than to go to a fancy café and pay them a bunch of dollars. Creaming is the secret method for this cake. This can be enjoyed without the frosting, but its significant flavor comes from the pistachio frosting. All you need is a stand mixer and some ingredients for this cake, and it takes you to a vintage café in Italy!

Ricotta is the main ingredient in this Italian cake, not cream cheese. Ricotta makes the cake moist and fluffy and yum with classic pistachio flavors. I added lemon zest for a tangy-sweet taste that pairs well with ricotta and pistachios (the classic Italian style).

Why You Will Love the Italian Ricotta Pistachio Cake Recipe

• The moist cake with nutty pistachios, tangy lemon flavor, and creamy ricotta flavor will be the best Italian dessert you’ve ever had. 
• You don’t need professional baking skills to make this cake. With simple steps, you can create your own pistachio italian dessert without putting much effort into it. 
• pistachio ricotta cake recipe can be served at many events, such as birthday parties, family reunions, anniversaries, or Christmas. It is not only specific to these but also for a typical morning breakfast, brunch, or teatime. 

Ingredients for This Pistachio and Ricotta Cake

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• Almond Flour: Take 2 cups of almond flour. You can make it with cake or all-purpose flour, but almond flour provides a firm and moist contrast in flavor. Almond and lemon flavors are the most loved flavors in this recipe. 
• Baking Powder: One teaspoon is enough to make it rise. 
• Butter: Take half a cup of unsalted, softened (room-temperature) butter. We are taking softened butter because it can easily be handled in creaming and incorporates other ingredients and air bubbles well.
• Ricotta: Take 10 oz, which is approximately 313g of ricotta cheese. Ricotta cheese makes the cake soft, moist, rich, and milky. 
• Eggs: Take 4 medium eggs and separate the egg yolks and whites. 
• Vanilla extract: one teaspoon for aroma. 
• Sweetener: Use half a cup of caster sugar as a sweetener. Caster sugar is used to cream butter. Powdered monk fruit sweetener can be used to make a smooth cake. 
• Lemon Zest: Use lemon zest for a tangy, fresh taste. You can also use orange zest or any citrus zest.
• For Pistachio Frosting: To make the pistachio frosting, take half a cup icing sugar, half a cup of softened butter (room temperature butter), half a cup cream cheese, half a cup crushed pistachio, and one teaspoon vanilla. Crush the pistachios for a smooth pistachio icing. 

What is Creaming?

Creaming is the process of beating softened butter, sugar, and eggs (adding eggs one by one) to form a smooth, fluffy paste. It is done with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. The sugar is dissolved in the butter, making an aerated mixture. When air is tapped into butter and sugar, it helps create a smooth mixture. Flour and beaten egg whites are mixed with the aerated mixture for a fluffy, soft, and moist cake. 

Instructions

1.Mix Butter and Sugar

Add softened butter, sweetener, vanilla, and lemon zest and mix with the help of a stand mixer until they are well combined and you notice the mixture becomes light, airy, and fluffy. Mix in a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment for 4 minutes, and you will start seeing the mixture turn from dense and heavy to light and airy. The more time passes, the more we get a fluffy texture. 

2.Beat Egg Yolks in Butter Mixture

Add egg yolks one by one to the butter mixture and beat it well to create air bubbles for a light, fluffy cake. Beat the mixture well every time you add the egg. This will take 3-4 minutes for eggs to completely absorb in butter-sugar mixture.

3.Add Flour and Ricotta Butter Mixture

Add the almond flour and beat until the flour and buttery mixture are well incorporated. Add ricotta cheese and beat until combined.

4.Beat Egg Whites

 In another bowl, beat your egg whites until the color changes to white and soft peaks are formed. While you are beating the eggs, first create the white bubbles and then the bubbles that trap the air and turn the bubbles into soft, fluffy, and creamy white form. 

5.Combine Beaten Egg Whites and Ricotta-Butter Mixture

Combine beaten egg whites with Fold the ricotta cake mixture and beaten egg whites and mix them well to form a smooth ricotta cake mixture. 

6.Pour Cake Batter in Pan and Bake

Pour the ricotta cake mixture into the cake tin (8″). Line with parchment paper and smooth the top with a spatula or pat the pan.

Bake at 365 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 to 55 minutes. Check the cake between the time intervals to see if it is done. Allow it to cool at room temperature. 

7.Make the Pistachio Frosting

Beat the softened butter, icing sugar, vanilla and cream cheese. Add crushed pistachios gradually and beat in a bowl using a stand/hand mixer with the paddle attachment until they form a smooth icing mixture for 3-4 minutes. The cream frosting dissolves the sugar crystals and forms a smooth icing mixture that is smooth to the touch with no sugar crystals.

8.Layer the Pistachio Icing

Cut the ricotta cake in half with a sharp, long knife. Spread the pistachio frosting on the half-cake sponge with a spatula or spoon.

Put the second layer on top and spread the frosting on the entire cake with a spatula. Sprinkle some ground or crushed pistachios on top.

Enjoy pistachio ricotta cake with a cup of milk or coffee. 

Expert Tips

• Creaming is the most important step. For the best creaming, softened butter should be used because it will be easily mixed with sugar and can be aerated to create a perfect batter. All the other ingredients, like eggs, should also be at room temperature to facilitate the creaming process. 
• Add the eggs yolks one by one and beat the mixture each time you add the yolk. This will help with smooth mixing rather than adding the yolks at a time. 
• Add the almond flour gradually and make sure the mixture doesn’t get too dense. If it is too thick, add a tablespoon of milk to get a nice consistency, and if it is runny, add a bit more flour, but it should not exceed the dry-to-wet ingredients ratio. The proportions that I mentioned will create a balance between the dry and wet ingredients. 
• Decorate with whole pistachios, lemon zest, or your favorite chocolate bar for a unique presentation. 

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