Can I substitute ricotta cheese for sour cream in a cake recipe?

The cake gets its significant name from ricotta cheese, a necessary ingredient in this recipe. Sour cream can be substituted for ricotta, but you must balance the sweetness because sour cream is tangier than ricotta.

Which pistachios should I use?

You can use roasted, raw pistachios, or salted ones but I prefer to use raw pistachios for a fresh taste. You can also use salted pistachios in this recipe. To save time, you can use store-bought shelled pistachios (the kernel or edible part of pistachios).

What does ricotta cake taste like?

Ricotta cake is similar to cheesecake but is lovely, light, fluffy, and moist. The ricotta is balanced with lemon zest and sweetened with a sweetener. The overall taste is a sweet, nutty flavor with a soft texture.

Easy Pistachio Ricotta Cake Italians Are Crazy About! June 22, 2025

Description

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).

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups of Almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup softened butter
10 oz (313g) ricotta
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup sweetener (caster sugar)
1 lemon zest

For Pistachio Filling

½ cup icing sugar
½ cup softened butter
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup crushed pistachios
1 tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 and enjoy Italian pistachio dessert with a cup of milk or coffee.

Notes

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.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian