There’s something about a blueberry-ricotta crumb cake paired with a great cup of coffee that makes it a moment to savor. Whether in the morning or in the afternoon. Three ingredients in this cake speak my love language- maple sugar, cardamom, and creamy ricotta. The combination works, delivering comfort.
This is not your typical blueberry crumb cake. The batter is thick and rich, filled with blueberries, and topped with a generous crumb topping that invites a dusting of powdered sugar. It bakes up golden, and the aroma of cardamom fills the air.
Ingredients That Stand Out
Maple Sugar: Earthy and mellow, it added a caramel-like depth that played beautifully with the berries. If you’ve never swapped maple sugar for brown sugar, this cake is your invitation.
Cardamom: Floral, citrusy, and just a little mysterious. It lifted the crumb topping and the cake itself into something special—like your favorite coffee shop treat with a twist.
Ricotta Cheese: The hero ingredient. Whipped smooth and folded into the batter, it gave the cake a plush texture that held moisture without heaviness. Think cheesecake meets coffee cake, but lighter.
Instructions
1. Make the Crumb Topping: Stir together the flour, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers until clumps form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Make the Cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat the butter, both sugars, and lemon zest in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add both extracts.
4. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the ricotta, until combined.
5. Fold in 1 cup blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared pan; the batter will be thick. Then scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries on top.
6. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
Bake until golden brown, cool, and enjoy.
See the full recipe card instructions below.
Serving Suggestions
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with lemon zest whipped cream.
- Pair with a cup of coffee or my favorite, a maple latte.
- Spread the joy. Wrap slices in parchment and gift them to neighbors.
Blueberry-Ricotta Crumb Cake
Equipment
- 1 9-inch round cake pan
- 1 KitchenAid Stand Mixer or hand mixer
- 1 medium and large mixing bowl
- whisk, spoons and forks
Ingredients
For the Crumb Topping
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
For the Cake
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup maple sugar or use brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple extract or use maple syrup
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese pulsed in a food processor until smooth
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Instructions
Make the Crumb Topping
- Stir together the flour, brown sugar, cardamom, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with two forks or your fingers until clumps form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, then line it with parchment paper; butter the parchment.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Beat the butter, both sugars, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add both extracts.
- Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the ricotta, until combined. Fold in 1 cup blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, the batter will be thick. Then scatter the remaining 1/2 cup blueberries on top. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 15 minutes in the pan, then remove the cake to the rack to cool completely. Dust with confectoners' sugar and enjoy!
Notes
- Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with lemon zest whipped cream.
- Pair with a cup of coffee or my favorite, a maple latte.
- Spread the joy. Wrap slices in parchment and gift them to neighbors.
- Be sure to cover the sides of the cake pan with parchment. The first time I made this, I only did the bottom...I couldn't get it out of the plan to cool without breaking it.
- Adapted from Steve Jackson for Food Network Kitchen. Blueberry-Ricotta Crumb Cake
Did You Make This Recipe?
This Blueberry-Ricotta Crumb Cake is a keeper, and I hope you’ll give it a try. It’s the kind of bake that feels special but not fussy, it’s comfort anytime of day.
Leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out—I love hearing from you.
Savoring the good life,
Samantha
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