Fresh Ricotta Cakes with Strawberry, Vanilla, and Rosemary Compote
Light and fluffy ricotta cakes are the perfect anytime treat! Especially when made with vanilla and rosemary flavours and delicious strawberry compote to pour on top!
There is nothing better than waking up on the weekend to the aroma of freshly made, deliciously light and creamy ‘cake’. My fondest memory as a child was tip-toeing down the stairs in the morning, still sleepy-eyed, and waking up instantly when I saw my mum making these fragrant bites.
Since I have a savoury dessert devouring husband 😀 I needed to step up my dessert game. These fresh ricotta cakes with strawberry, vanilla, and rosemary compote are super light and fluffy and packed with incredible flavour. And when you pour on the delicious compote, I promise there won’t be a single crumb left on your plate!
In this beautiful recipe from Hyatt’s Chef’s Table, executed by Chef Arvind and his amazing team at Whitecaps International School of Pastry, the soft moist texture and mildly sweet flavour of the ricotta is offset by the peppery arugula, the slightly acidic honeyed strawberries, and the unmistakably pungent flavour of fresh rosemary. This one’s dedicated to all the savoury fans out there for when sweet desserts just won’t cut it. I’ll warn you ~ these gluten-free, fluffy golden cakes are addictive! #hyattchefstable #hyattkitchenheroes #hyattmadeinindia
Ingredients:
Fresh Ricotta
- 3½ cups cream
- 12/3 cups milk
- ½ lime, juiced
Ricotta Cakes
- 1¼ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3½ tsp fresh red chillies, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chives, diced
- 1/3 cup seedless raisins
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2¾ cups fresh breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup clarified butter
Compote
- 4 tsp honey
- 1” stick cinnamon
- ¼ pod fresh vanilla
- 350 gm strawberries, halved
- ½ cup rum
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish
- 1 cup arugula or rocket leaves
- 2½ tsp lime oil
Method
Fresh Ricotta
- Mix cream and milk in a non-stick saucepan and bring to boil.
- Add a few drops of lime juice and wait until the milk curdles.
- Separate the milk curds from the liquid whey by straining through the muslin.
- Discard the liquid and leave the cheese curds in the saucepan.
- Lightly cover with muslin and set aside for four hours.
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Ricotta Cakes
- In a mixing bowl, mix the fresh ricotta curds with the Parmesan cheese, de-seeded red chillies, chives, raisins, pepper, and salt.
- Shape into twelve round cakes and coat with fresh breadcrumbs.
- Refrigerate until set.
- Pour the clarified butter into a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook the ricotta cakes evenly, until golden.
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Compote
- Pour honey into a pan and cook over low heat for three minutes until caramelised.
- Scrape the seeds of the vanilla pod and add to the honey.
- Add the strawberries and cinnamon and cook for 5 minutes or until the strawberries soften.
- Flambé the compote by adding rum and igniting over high heat.
- Add rosemary and stir.
- Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
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To Serve
- Spoon the compote on a plate and place the ricotta cakes on top.
- Garnish with arugula leaves mixed with lime oil.
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By definition, dessert is just an “ending to a meal” ~ so finishing on a savoury note is perfectly acceptable!
Recreating the recipe: Buckwheat Crêpes with Ratatouille and Goat Cheese
These look quite amazing, Tanya! Also, they can give me a sneaky excuse to have some for breakfast. 😀
Yep! Busted 🙂
Love how beautiful this recipe is! Honestly speaking, I am not a fan of savoury treats, but I’d love to prepare these delightful cakes for a weekend breakfast. The smiles of my kids whenever I surprise them just fills my heart! ❤️
Thanks Rayana. It’s perfect for summer!
These ricotta cakes look deliciously wonderful! And almost too pretty to eat! Every family has a slight variance, some even add sultanas through or coloured sprinkles on top and varied cheeses, others call them ‘formagelle’ little cheese cakes. However they are made, they are made from the heart and based on their own family traditions. I will be glad to try your’s! 🙂
Thanks Shasni. That warms my heart!
Well aren’t these simply the most stunning ricotta cakes I’ve ever seen! The next time I head to the supermarket, I’ll purchase the ingredients and make it! I find myself smiling at you as you teach… ❤️❤️❤️
Aw ~ thank you, Smita.
Wow, tempted to try making this as I’ve never had ricotta cake; but it would seem that it’s time to change that. Mmm!
Thanks Darshita. Appreciate that!
I can’t get over how wonderfully your photos have turned out.. And these specifically, are my most favourite that I’ve seen on your blog! Thanks Tanya, for another winner! ❤️
That means a lot to me! I’m working on redefining my style a bit so I appreciate your feedback, Pradum.
This looks wonderful, Tanya! Ricotta makes for a delectable and dense cake, and the compote looks so beautiful and colourful! Must try! 🙂
I am craving another batch now. Eeeek!
Thank you so much for this beautiful post and easy peasy recipe! The cake and compote look exquisite ~ gorgeous pictures, too! xx
Thank you for your support and kind words, Binapani. I appreciate it!
Oh my, these ricotta cakes look incredible! I need some right now, especially since I’m still in bed reading this post and ready for brunch, haha! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks Antara. So fun to hear that!
Oh my goodness ~ these look so good! I adore ricotta cakes especially my mum’s recipe that involves using honeycomb butter and banana, but I never really get around to making them. Pinning this to absolutely make (soon)!
Hope you enjoy it, Jyotishwar!
Well, aren’t these just the most exquisite ricotta cakes I’ve ever seen! I bet they taste heavenly too ~ definitely going to give the recipe a try! Thanks Tanya. 🙂
Thanks Aastha. Glad to hear that!
Absolutely love the quality of the pictures and cannot wait to try this recipe in my kitchen as well. Keep it up!
Thank you, Reena.
I love the pictures and the recipe seems fantastic! Just so you know, this ricotta cake takes me way back to those days when I would walk into a quaint little Parisian patisserie, nestled in the bustling street of Rue des Lombards. Warming up with a cup of tea this summer evening, I decided to take a walk down the memory lane. ❤️
Thank you for sharing, Shivangi. 🙂
A fresh box of strawberries, fluffy dollop of ricotta and lemon zest, and I think I can see myself recreating a version of this delectable treat! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
My pleasure, Rachana.
Your recipe seems simple and quick to make, Tanya. This is how I prefer making them: Add ricotta, egg yolks, grated pecorino and Parmigiano, salt, pepper and minced parsley. Shape into cakes and refrigerate until ready to use. Dip in beaten egg and then roll in breadcrumbs. Fry in olive oil until golden brown on each side. They make fabulous appetisers or even side dishes. ❤️
Yummy! Nothing like fresh ricotta cakes!
Now this is definitely a winner, right here on this plate! Sounds like the perfect appetiser, too! I’ve never attempted home made ricotta cakes before – you make it sound easy, so maybe I should try the recipe!
It was very easy to make and very rewarding, Shikha. Let me know how you go…
Yes to cheese cakes! Not the ones everyone is familiar with, but hot, crispy, cheesy, salty ones!! Getting a bit of cooking on today for school lunchboxes next week. These ricotta cakes tick all the boxes for simple, make ahead lunchbox snacks. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Yes to delicious bites!
I may have to try making these… They would make a perfect accompaniment to a macchinetta of espresso, an afternoon tea the Italian way! 🙂
So happy you like it, Jyoti!
Ooh nice! I love me some ricotta cakes with roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, and some spinach. I roast the veggies with some balsamic vinegar and, I flavour the ricotta cakes with vegetarian Parmesan and lemon zest! ❤️
Sounds like the most glorious combination, Ravneet!
I am not usually bothered by cake but I am extremely bothered by this cake… Actually can’t wait to make this beauty! 😀
It’s so good I nearly shed a tear… 😀
This looks amazing! Today’s short term goal: to make decadently delicious ricotta cakes! 🙂
It’s definitely a keeper; super easy to make and isn’t too sweet. 🙂