gluten free sour cherry almond and ricotta cake

gluten free sour cherry almond and ricotta cake

• 27 Apr 2025

I love sour cherries and when the Gelato Bar was still in existence, I'd treat myself to a slice of their sour cherry and cheese strudel. A few months ago I went on the hunt for frozen sour cherries to make a sour cherry pie. I bought 2 packets but as I keep baking with the cherries, I'll have to hunt down some more before I can make that sour cherry pie.

Instead of pie, I made a gluten free sour cherry, almond and ricotta cake, so that I could share it with my  neighbour who is gluten intolerant. The cake was inspired by a Julia Busuttil Nishimura recipe but I went off piste, I think I can claim it as my own. It's a one bowl cake and you could probably make the cake with jarred sour cherries, but as they're so delicate I worry they might disintegrate as you stir them through the batter.

Here's the recipe for you which makes a 17cm cake. For all my recipes I use a 250ml cup and a 20 ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional gas oven so if your oven is fan forced you may need to reduce the oven temperature by 20°C.

Gluten free sour cherry ricotta cake

Cake

100g frozen sour cherries, dusted with 1 tsp flour

110g self-raising GF flour

¼ tsp baking powder

pinch of sea salt

25g almond meal

125g caster sugar 

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

125 g fresh full-fat ricotta

1 egg

75 ml/70g light-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil

Topping

50g frozen sour cherries

2 tbs flaked almonds 

1 tsp raw sugar

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C conventional. Grease, flour and line the base of a 17 cm round cake tin with baking paper.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Stir through the almond meal, removing any lumps in the process. Set aside.

Place the caster sugar, lemon zest, vanilla and ricotta in a large bowl and whisk together until well combined. Add the egg and the olive oil and whisk until smooth. Add in the flour and mix until just combined. Add the frozen cherries and mix gently to combine, then spoon the batter into the tin. Smooth the surface, then scatter with the reserved frozen cherries followed by the flaked almonds. Lastly, sprinkle over the raw sugar.

Place the tin on the centre rack and bake for 1 hour at 190°C conventional or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

The cake is easy to make; has a really tender crumb and every now and then you get a little pop of sour cherry. It's a keeper.

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

Bye for now,

Jillian