Blueberry Ricotta Cheese Coffee Cake

This week I found myself with half a container of leftover ricotta cheese. In an effort not to waste it, I made this blueberry ricotta coffee cake, which turned out absolutely delicious!

Topped with streusel topping, this homemade coffee cake has a bit of extra protein thanks to the ricotta cheese. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries and it is an easy make-ahead breakfast recipe for holiday gatherings.

Tips for baking with ricotta cheese

Ricotta cheese is a soft, creamy, and mild-flavored cheese that can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. It is made from the leftover liquid portion of the milk after it has been curdled to make other types of cheeses such as mozzarella or parmesan. You can find it in most grocery stores near the cottage cheese and sour cream.

Ricotta makes light and fluffy baked goods, and it is a great ingredient to use if you are looking for a way to add extra protein and flavor to your recipes.

When baking with ricotta cheese, there are a few tips that can help ensure great results. The first is to choose high-quality ricotta cheese that is fresh and creamy.

When using ricotta in baking, make sure the ricotta is not too wet and that it is whipped well into the batter. If the ricotta seems overly wet, place it in a strainer lined with cheesecloth to drain for a few minutes before using it in baking.

Coffee Cake Ingredients

I am a firm believer in the idea that quality ingredients make for a quality product. That means real butter, farm-fresh eggs, organic milk, and real vanilla bean paste. They may cost more, but you will be much happier with the end result.

Here is a list of all ingredients you need to make this delicious recipe for breakfast this week:

For the Cake:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (I prefer this over vanilla extract)
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

For the Streusel Topping:

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

How to make this Ricotta cheese coffee cake with Blueberries

This ricotta cheese coffee cake is a very basic cake recipe that follows a simple pattern of mixing wet ingredients and dry ingredients separately, then combining and adding fresh or frozen blueberries before baking.

Making the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees before you start.

Start with a large mixing bowl and combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix gently and set aside. (I used all-purpose unbleached flour. If you are looking to use gluten-free flour or whole wheat, I am not sure how those would work!)

In a separate bowl, combine the butter and light brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes or until well mixed and smooth. I used an electric mixer for this, although a handheld mixer will work just as well.

In a third large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, vanilla, and milk. Slowly mix these together with a fork.

Pour the wet mixture into the brown sugar and butter. Slowly mix until well blended.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Mix completely.

Here is where you need to stir in your blueberries. Fresh blueberries are ideal if it’s blueberry season, however, I didn’t have those available. I used frozen blueberries which definitely gave my homemade coffee cake a bit of a ‘blue’ color.

In theory, you can thaw, rinse, and pat dry your frozen blueberries and avoid the frozen berries making everything purple, however, I am not that worried about it.

After mixing in your blueberries, pour batter into a large cake pan. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula to get it all out. I chose a 9×9 inch pan, however, a springform pan or other size will also work, just keep an eye on the baking times. If you really want to impress guests, bake it in a handmade stoneware baking dish. 

Make sure to coat the pan with cooking spray or rub it with coconut oil with a paper towel. You could also line the pan with parchment paper.

Once the coffee cake batter is poured into the prepared pan, spread it evenly and make your streusel topping.

Making the Oatmeal Streusel Topping

Now that the batter is in the pan, it’s time to make the topping. Combine the butter, oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix the ingredients together the mixture resembles a coarse crumble.

Sprinkle the topping over the cake and you are ready to bake it.

Baking the Coffee Cake

At this point, you need to bake the blueberry ricotta cake for about 1 hour, depending on what size cake pan you choose to use. my 9 x9 inch pan took 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Keys to look for to determine if your cake is finished cooking: You will notice that the top of the streusel starts to look golden brown and the cake has raised up a bit.

Check for doneness before removing it from the oven. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean, without any blueberry batter stuck to it.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack for several hours before attempting to cut it. Once it is completely cooled, use a butter knife to cut it into pieces. Serve with hot coffee or topped with whipped cream and more fresh berries.

Variations

There are several variations of this blueberry ricotta coffee cake that you can try. For a slightly different flavor, add lemon zest or almond extract in addition to the vanilla bean paste.

You can also skip the streusel topping and make a simple glaze with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

While you might be tempted to swap out the ricotta cheese with cottage cheese, they really aren’t the same type of product. Cottage cheese has a much larger curd which won’t mix as well into the batter.

Storage Tips

This blueberry ricotta coffee cake will stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for several days or up to a week, depending on how warm it is.

To freeze it, cut individual pieces and wrap them in plastic wrap. Then put those pieces into an airtight container in the freezer. They should stay fresh for up to a month or so.

More blueberry breakfast recipes

I love blueberry season so I have LOTS of creative ways to use fresh blueberries. Of course, frozen blueberries are available year-round, too, so try a few of these blueberry recipes for breakfast this month:

• Lemon blueberry scone recipe: Homemade blueberry scones are easier to make than they sound!
• Blueberry pecan breakfast bar: This blueberry breakfast bar is a delicious and portable healthy breakfast recipe.
• Easy lemon blueberry pancakes: The combination of lemon and blueberries is delicious!

And if you love homemade coffee cake, check out my apricot cream cheese coffee cake recipe, too!

Blueberry Ricotta Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe

Homemade coffee cake is delicious for breakfast or any time of day you want something light, fluffy, and sweet to snack on. It’s a great recipe to use up leftover ricotta cheese or highlight fresh blueberries during blueberry season. If you love ricotta cheese, I definitely recommend getting a copy of this ricotta cheese cookbook

Yield: 12 servings

Blueberry Ricotta Cheese Coffee Cake

Print

Topped with streusel topping, this blueberry ricotta cheese coffee cake has a bit of extra protein thanks to the ricotta cheese. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries
• For the Streusel Topping:
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth, about 5 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, milk, and vanilla bean paste.
5. Add the wet ingredients slowly to the butter and brown sugar, mixing well.
6. Slowly add in the dry ingredients.
7. Gently fold in the blueberries, folding over once or twice to mix gently.
8. Scrape the batter into a lightly greased baking pan. A 9 x 9 pan will yield a high, thick coffee cake and take about 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake.
9. For the streusel topping, mix together the brown sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add butter. Then, using your fingers or a fork to mix it, work the butter in until the topping is crumbly. Evenly sprinkle the streusel on top of the batter.
10. Bake the coffee cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 306mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 2gSugar: 32gProtein: 9g

Nutrition information not always accurate