Peach Ricotta Cake

By Yossy Arefi

Published Aug. 1, 2025

Peach Ricotta Cake
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi
Total Time
1¼ hours, plus cooling
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Rating
5(1,519)
Comments
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Peaches are one of the very best things about summer, and this cake celebrates them two ways, with chopped pieces folded into the batter and wedges fanned out to decorate the top. The batter is enriched with ricotta for moisture and a generous amount of lemon zest for brightness. This cake is beautiful enough to serve at a party and can be prepared and baked in less than an hour. If fresh peaches aren't looking good at your market, you can substitute the same weight of any other fresh stone fruit. (If summer fruit isn't available, you can even use a 12-ounce package of frozen sliced peaches; just be sure to thaw the slices fully and pat them dry before adding them to the batter.)

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Ingredients

Yield:1 (9-inch) cake (8 to 10 servings)
  • ½cup/113 grams unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
  • 2large peaches (about ¾ pound/340 grams total)
  • 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar, plus 2 teaspoons for garnish
  • 1large lemon
  • 2large eggs
  • 1cup/230 grams whole-milk ricotta
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
  • 1½teaspoons baking powder
  • ½teaspoon baking soda
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

298 calories; 13 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 42 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 24 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 300 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Butter and line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Slice the peaches into ½-inch-thick slices. Chop about one-quarter of the sliced peaches into ½-inch pieces; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the 1 cup sugar, then zest the lemon over the top. Use your fingers to rub the zest into the sugar to release its oils.

  3. Step 3

    Add the butter and mix on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds in between each addition. Add the ricotta, vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth and emulsified, about 30 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Add the flour, baking powder and baking soda, and use a flexible spatula to fold until well-combined and smooth, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Fold in the chopped peaches.

  5. Step 5

    Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or spoon. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles. Arrange the peach slices over the top in a single layer and sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar over the top.

  6. Step 6

    Bake the cake until puffed and golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate, remove the parchment, and invert again onto a wire rack, peach-side up. Let cool completely, then slice into wedges to serve. (Store the cake, wrapped tightly, at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 days.)

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,519 user ratings
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Comments

Nank

I didn't have time to go shopping so used what was in my house: whole wheat flour instead of white, and cottage cheese instead of ricotta. (I drained the cottage cheese while I did the rest of the work.) It was spectacular! One caveat: the "5 minute" prep note is hilarious; it took me half an hour to get out the ingredients, wash and cut the peaches, zest and rub the lemon, etc. In fact, 5 minutes was about the amount of time it took to butter, cut out parchment, and rebutter the pan...

Shorty Attentionspan

Wouldnt it make more sense to bake this in a springform pan and avoid the flipping to remove the parchment?

dimmerswitch

Shorty - You ask about a springform pan. I used one because I wanted to cut the recipe in half to make a smaller cake because I was serving 3 and I didn't want a cake that serves 8 to 10 around to tempt me, I used a 6'5" round springform (@33") which is about half the area of a 9" round cake pan (@64") and prepped the springform per recipe. At step 6, after cake cooled 15 min, I released the sides and followed recipe so I could remove parchment from bottom and put cake on serving platter.

Marci

I love this cake. Freezes very well. Defrost, heat in oven.

Grace

This is a delicious recipe that produces an incredibly moist cake! I made mine "upside-down" by adding 1/4 cup each of melted butter and brown sugar to the bottom of the pan before pouring in the batter. I followed the baking instructions exactly as stated, but I’d suggest folding in extra peaches next time, as they tend to disappear into the cake.

Bobbi Hynes

Summer peaches are the best and sweetest. Now trying it with summer canned peaches for Christmastime treat. Wondering if (winter) Comice pears could take place if peaches??

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