Best Cherry Ricotta Orange Sponge Cake Recipe
Light, airy, and just the right amount of indulgent. This Cherry Ricotta & Orange Sponge Cake is a summer-meets-late-harvest cake you’ll want on repeat.
The sponge is fluffy and cloudlike, balanced by creamy ricotta and a hint of bright orange zest. Juicy cherries on top bring it all together for a dessert that feels both elegant and effortless. All the whipping and delicate folding are so worth it. You will know after the first bite.
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How is this recipe different?
- We used cornstarch to create a more delicate crumb.
- We used powdered sugar for a softer, delicate texture.
- We added creamy ricotta cheese for moisture.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese – sets this biszkopt apart. It adds creaminess and just a hint of tang, making the sponge feel more tender and special. If you don’t have ricotta, mascarpone can be used for a richer, denser result, or well-drained cottage cheese for something lighter.
Cornstarch – it’s the secret to that airy, almost melt-in-your-mouth crumb. If you don’t have any, the cake will still work with straight flour, but the texture will be closer to a classic sponge, a little sturdier.
Powdered Sugar – blends more smoothly into the eggs than granulated, helping to create that glossy, stable meringue layer. If you only have granulated sugar, it will still work, but be prepared for a slightly longer whipping time.
Fresh Bing Cherries – their tart-sweet juice soaks into the sponge just enough. Frozen cherries also work great (no need to thaw first, just pat off excess ice crystals). If you’re out of cherries, try berries, plums, or even sliced apricots.
Eggs – give the cake both lift and structure. Using room temperature eggs makes a huge difference because they whip up with more volume. If your eggs are straight from the fridge, just let them sit in warm water for 5 minutes before starting.
Other ingredients – all-purpose flour, butter, orange zest (you can also use lemon zest), vanilla extract (or almond extract).
Equipment you will need
- large mixing bowl
- medium bowl
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- fine mesh sieve
- zester or microplane
- spatula
- springform cake pan (8 or 9-inch)
- parchment paper
- small bowl
- cooling rack
- sharp knife
Top Tips
Dry your cherries well after washing so they don’t sink and water down the sponge. You can even toss them lightly in a spoon of flour before folding them into the batter. If using frozen cherries, thaw and drain first; otherwise, you’ll get soggy pockets in your cake.
Whip the egg yolks + sugar long enough (until they’re pale, thick, and fluffy—ribbon stage). This is the backbone of a light biszkopt.
Don’t overmix after adding flour – fold gently with a spatula to keep the air in. Think of it like handling a bubble bath: you don’t want to pop all the bubbles.
Make sure ricotta is drained well (too much liquid makes it heavy). You can even press it in a sieve for 10–15 minutes.
Bake in the middle rack and don’t open the oven early. Biszkopt is fragile and can collapse from a cold air draft.
Test with a wooden pick – it should come out mostly clean, maybe with a few moist crumbs.
Dust with powdered sugar right before serving (if done too early, the cherries may “bleed” and leave pink blotches).
How to make it
- Heat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Lightly butter a 26 cm / 10-inch tart pan or springform; line the base with parchment.
- Pit and halve the cherries, pat very dry, and toss with 1–2 tsp flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat four egg yolks with 90 g sifted powdered sugar on medium speed until very pale and thick (ribbons), ~3–4 min.
- Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and the zest of 1 orange (just a few seconds).
- Whisk in 250 g ricotta until smooth (no lumps). You can also whip the ricotta briefly before adding it to the egg yolk mixture.
- In a clean bowl, beat on high speed 4 whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks.
- Gradually add in the remaining 90 g powdered sugar, beating to glossy medium-stiff peaks (tip curls over).
- Add ¼ of the whites to the yolk/ricotta bowl and fold gently.
- Scrape this lightened mixture back into the remaining whites and fold very gently until mostly uniform.
- Double-sift together: 120 g all-purpose flour + 30 g cornstarch + 1½ tsp baking powder + pinch salt.
- Sift half over the batter; fold with gentle strokes. Repeat with the rest. Stop as soon as streaks disappear
- Melt 2 tbsp unsalted butter and let it cool.
- Stir 2–3 spoonfuls of batter into the butter to emulsify, then fold this back into the main batter in just a few strokes.
- You can also fold in a few cherries.
- Immediately pour batter into the prepared pan and level the top.
- Scatter cherries evenly over the surface (they’ll sink a little—perfect)
- Bake 30–35 minutes. Don’t open the oven for the first 20 minutes!
- Done when the top is golden brown, the center springs back, and a tester comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Dust the cooled cake with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Best ways to enjoy
- Classic – a light dusting of powdered sugar just before serving keeps things.
- With Whipped Cream – just a dollop is enough.
- With fresh fruit – serve with a handful of fresh cherries or mixed berries
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Storage instructions, reheating
Room temperature: keep the cake covered with a cake dome or plastic wrap for 1–2 days.
Refrigerator: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: yes, you can freeze it! Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then let sit at room temp before serving.
Reheating: this cake doesn’t really need reheating (it’s best enjoyed at room temp), but if you like it slightly warm, pop a slice in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Just enough to take the chill off — not enough to dry it out.
Best Cherry Ricotta Orange Sponge Cake Recipe
Equipment
- mixing bowls
- stand mixer
- fine mesh, sieve
- zester
- springform pan
- spatula
- parchment paper
- cooling, wire rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted (90 g for yolks, 90 g for whites)
- 250 g ricotta room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 orange zest
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted & cooled
- 1½ fresh pitted cherries
Instructions
- Heat oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Lightly butter a 26 cm / 10-inch tart pan or springform; line the base with parchment.
- Pit cherries (200–250 g), pat very dry, and toss with 1–2 tsp flour. Set aside.
- Weigh 180 g of powdered sugar and divide 90 g / 90 g. Sift both portions.
- In a large bowl, beat 4 yolks with 90 g sifted powdered sugar on medium-high until very pale and thick (ribbons), ~3–4 min.
- Mix in 1 tsp vanilla and zest of 1 orange (just a few seconds).
- Whisk in 250 g ricotta until smooth (no lumps).
- In a clean bowl, beat 4 whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks.
- Gradually rain in the remaining 90 g powdered sugar, beating to glossy medium-stiff peaks (tip curls over).
- Add ¼ of the whites to the yolk/ricotta bowl and fold to loosen.
- Scrape this lightened mixture back into the remaining whites and fold very gently until mostly uniform.
- Double-sift together: 120 g all-purpose flour + 30 g cornstarch + 1½ tsp baking powder + pinch salt.
- Sift half over the batter; fold with broad, gentle strokes. Repeat with the rest. Stop as soon as streaks disappear
- Melt 30 g unsalted butter and let cool.
- Stir 2–3 spoonfuls of batter into the butter to emulsify, then fold this back into the main batter in just a few strokes.
- Immediately pour batter into the pan and level the top.
- Scatter cherries evenly over the surface (they’ll sink a little—perfect)
- Bake 30–35 minutes. Don’t open the oven for the first 20 minutes.
- Done when the top is golden, the center springs back, and a tester comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then run a thin knife around the edge and transfer to a rack.
- Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Conclusion
There’s something timeless about a good biszkopt, simple ingredients whipped into a light cake. This version with ricotta and orange zest takes that old classic and gives it a little glow-up. It is creamy, citrusy, and studded with juicy cherries.
Enjoy this snack cake with a light dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped heavy cream. I guarantee it will quickly disappear slice by slice.
Light but memorable, fuss-free but elegant — exactly the kind of cherry cake recipe you’ll want in your back pocket.
FAQ
Can I use frozen cherries instead of fresh?
Yes! Just make sure to thaw and pat them dry before adding so they don’t release too much juice and weigh down the sponge.
What’s the trick to keeping the biszkopt light and fluffy?
It’s all about the egg whites. Beat them until glossy stiff peaks form and gently fold everything together. Overmixing is the quickest way to a dense cake.
Can I swap the ricotta for another cheese?
Mascarpone or cream cheese can work, but they’ll make the texture richer and heavier. Ricotta keeps the crumb light and tender.
Can I use brown sugar instead of powdered sugar?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this cake. Brown sugar is heavier, moister, and doesn’t dissolve as quickly as powdered sugar. It would weigh down the whipped eggs and prevent the sponge from getting that signature airy biszkopt texture. If you don’t have powdered sugar, granulated white sugar works better (though you’ll need to whip a little longer). Save the brown sugar for cookies or crumbles, where its caramel notes can really shine.
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