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Blueberry Ricotta Pudding Cake: A fluffy, airy cake batter made with butter, lemon, creamy ricotta cheese, and vanilla, swirled with sweet blueberries and baked into an almost pudding-like texture. This blueberry pudding cake is extra special thanks to ribbons of blueberry jam and whipped egg whites that create its unique, melt-in-your-mouth feel. It’s light, delicious, and just a little unexpected. Top with flaked sea salt and plenty of whipped cream for the perfect anytime treat!
When I first decided to bake this cake, I honestly thought—this could either be amazing…or a complete disaster.
I was trying to combine a few different cake ideas into one. And with baking, you just never know until you pull it out of the oven! I had this vision of a fluffy, soft cake with a slightly pudding-like center—light, tender, and filled with juicy blueberries.
I’ll admit, I was a little nervous. But to my surprise (and total excitement!), the very first version turned out just right! It was pretty, delicious, and actually not too tricky to make.
The inspiration for this recipe came from my mom. She loves anything with a creamy, pudding-like texture, so the minute she heard what I was dreaming up, she insisted I had to make it.
And honestly, I think this would make the perfect Mother’s Day cake. A little more special than your typical blueberry cake, but still simple and so, so good!
Let me tell you the details
- salted butter
- granulated sugar
- lemon zest
- whole milk ricotta cheese – or you can use sour cream too
- eggs – be sure to separate the whites from the yolks
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- fresh or frozen blueberries – if using frozen blueberries, do not thaw
- blueberry jam
- so much whipped cream
Ingredients for the glaze
- lemon juice
- powdered sugar
- course sugar
- flaked or coarse salt
Special Tools
It’s helpful to have an electric mixer. I use a hand mixer to make the batter, then a stand mixer to whip the egg whites. But you could certainly use one or the other for both. You’ll also need a mixing bowl, 9-inch cake pan or springform, and a spatula.
Steps
Step 1: make the batter
In a bowl, beat the butter with the sugar and lemon zest until it’s well whipped. Now add in 3 egg yolks, the ricotta cheese, and vanilla. Next, add the dry ingredients, then mix in the milk.
Get the batter as smooth as possible to make mixing in the egg whites easy.
Step 2: whip the egg whites
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. This will take around 3 minutes.
Now, gently and slowly use a spatula to mix the whipped whites into the batter. The whipped eggs will help create a pudding-like center to the cake.
Step 3: the blueberries and the swirl
Before mixing the blueberries into the batter, I like to toss them with a small amount of flour. This prevents the berries from sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes.
Now mix the berries into the batter.
Finally, swirl the top with blueberry jam. The extra jam will make the cake really pretty. Don’t skip!
Step 4: baking
Now it’s time to bake. This will take about 50 to 60 minutes. The more you bake the cake, the less pudding-like the center will be. I bake mine for 55 minutes and tent the cake with foil at 30 minutes to prevent the top from browning too much.
Step 5: the glaze
This is a very very light glaze. Just lemon juice, a little powdered sugar, coarse sugar, and the flaked salt.
Pour the glaze over the warm cake. Let set for a few minutes.
Step 6: serving with so much whipped cream
I love to slice the cake while it’s still warm and dollop it with lightly whipped vanilla cream. I use A LOT of whipped cream. It’s our favorite!
Vanilla ice cream would be yummy too, but we prefer whipped cream for this cake!
Make Ahead
If you’d like to prepare the cake a few days in advance, it stores really well. Just be sure to keep it covered and in a cool place (with no whipped cream on top). Making this the perfect make-ahead cake for brunch or dessert!
Looking for other baking recipes? Here are my favorites:
Chocolate Chip Espresso Yogurt Cake
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Maple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Spice Butter
Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake
Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream
Lastly, if you make this Blueberry Ricotta Pudding Cake, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Bursting Blueberry Ricotta Pudding Cake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 358 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. 2. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, beating to combine. Mix in the ricotta and vanilla. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth, then stream in the milk. Mix until combined.3. In a bowl, using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs whites until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently mix the whites into the batter until the batter is smooth with no streaks.4. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour. Mix the berries into the batter. 5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Swirl in the blueberry jam, leaving streaks of jam throughout the batter. Bake 50-60 minutes, tenting with foil at 30 minutes. The longer you bake, the more set your cake will become. I bake mine for 55 minutes. 6. To make the glaze. In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together all ingredients. The glaze will be thin. Pour the glaze over the cake. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.
