Black- and blueberry ricotta cake from Snacking Cakes: Simple Treats for Anytime Cravings (page 36) by Yossy Arefi

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Ingredients

all-purpose flour
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vanilla extract
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Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

Pandan on May 04, 2026

Made this with mixed frozen berries and dark brown sugar I had to use up before moving. This was ok but not one of my favourites.
gabilovescheese on May 02, 2026

Ran out of neutral oil so added some olive oil- somehow even better?!
kimdube17 on April 05, 2026

Added lemon zest and served with the vanilla whipped cream, easy and tasty!
lholtzman on April 02, 2026

This is a super easy cake for any day. It is quite light and moist. The berries do make it a little wet, so it needs to be eaten pretty quickly or stored in the fridge as Arefi suggests.
babyapricot on April 01, 2026

Heaven and so easy - used all blueberries but sure any combination would be great
Catbiscuit on March 22, 2026

This was delicious but fall-apart wet for me, even though I baked it the maximum time and then even threw it back in the oven for at least another 5 minutes after breaking into it. I’ve bought an oven thermometer to test whether my oven is off and will try again. I used frozen berries - half blueberries and half blackberries. Maybe the fact that they were frozen added moisture. I didn’t have any problem with the color bleeding. Next time I’m going to add lemon zest, which I’d meant to do but forgot this time. Like others, I appreciated that this cake isn’t too sweet.
KarenPR on March 10, 2026

I’m not crazy about warm fruits in cakes but seeing how popular this cake is, I decided to give it a try. OMG!!! This cake is so so good. Fluffy, not too sweet and the sugar on the top gives it the crackling texture. I had to quickly put it away for the week otherwise I would have eaten half of it. The only change would be to use less blueberries next time. I would like to try the mix of berries since I only used frozen blueberries this time. I followed the recommendation here to pour half of the batter, put half of the blueberries and the pour the rest of the batter and blueberries and I found minimal running of the color in the cooked cake. I will definitely repeat!
eatswhilestanding on January 17, 2026

Made with blackberries for the first time. Was a bit short on ricotta so sub'd in about 30g of sour cream. Was less tender than past tries, but I think that may be because the oven was too hot, because it had previously been at 400 for pizza
Babycarrot on January 16, 2026

Echoing what everyone else has commented. My modifications: used olive oil instead of neutral oil, added lemon extract, added lemon zest, used all frozen blueberries (no blackberries) to boost the flavor. Very easy bake. I love that it's not too sweet. I used an 8 in cake pan as I didn't have an 8x8 square and this seemed to work. I used berries straight from the freezer and there was minimal bleeding. Needed the full bake time.
QuinceHouse on January 14, 2026

A nice simple snacking cake. Perfect thing to whip up when you have a surprise guest or are just short on time. Got the ultimate compliment from my Chinese father in law “not too sweet”.
Frenchfoodie on January 01, 2026

Nice basic recipe, very tender, worth repeating with tweaks. Supermarket fresh blueberries all juice and no flavour though so cake a bit bland with just blueberries.
Beck001 on December 15, 2025

First time I made it - I had to bake it twice in one day bc was so popular! I made with frozen wild blueberries. I reduced sugar slightly as was a bit sweet for my family (may also depend on fruit). The fruit does change the color of batter. I tried just adding in berries in layers to adjust but not sure makes a difference and easier to just add to batter. Instead of regular sugar on top used tubinado (and light amount so not too sweet)
Devons on October 07, 2025

Excellent, easy, a winner. Made it in a round cake pan, piled Vanilla Bean Whip p. 182 in the center, topped the whip with a few teeny tiny gold star sprinkles. Instant festivity!
Ducksinarose on July 06, 2025

Delightful! Easy! Sugar on top was a nice touch. Followed the instructions exactly!
MollyPellecchia on June 22, 2025

Delicious. Very quick and easy to pull together. Used a mix of black&blue berries per the recipe. Fresh ricotta was amazing. 42 min in the oven.
natastrophik on June 16, 2025

Made in an 8x8 inch square with frozen wild blueberries. Tastes like the best blueberry muffin in cake form. Don't skimp on sugar on top.
gootenbeez on April 27, 2025

Made using blackberries and raspberries. Delicious and I can't wait to make some of the variations too!
Lyssquee on February 24, 2025

We did a half recipe in a 5 inch spring form, and used raspberries instead of blueberries. Incredible, so soft and so moist.
ldyndiuk on October 09, 2023

I’ve made this a number of times, just with blueberries as I haven’t wanted to buy 2 kinds of berries just to use a small quantity of each. It always comes out delicious and is one of my favorites in this book.
LindaMM1 on January 09, 2023

Made this with a mix of fresh cranberries, blueberries and blackberries . Used part white and part whole wheat flour (1/3) and cut down the sugar. Excellent ! Will definitely make again. Also used light olive oil.
vickid59 on January 02, 2023

Made this for Christmas brunch - easy & delicious! Used chopped cranberries and added orange zest.
Kag2020 on December 28, 2022

Absolutely delicious. Used some frozen blueberries and TJ cherry berry mix in an 8 inch round pan for 52 minutes. Overdid the sugar on top a bit and wouldn’t change a thing next time.
averythingcooks on November 05, 2022

I cut this half to make a 6" inch cake and other than continuing to fine tune baking times when I do this (this one took at least 35 minutes - frozen berries??), this was very easy to put together. Based on Dolcetto23's comment, I used my hand mixer when mixing in the ricotta. I also used all blueberries this time and I had intended to add lemon zest but then somehow forgot. This is a tender, moist cake that is lovely with a cup of coffee or tea and I will make it again.
Dolcetto23 on September 13, 2022

Easy recipe - although I think I should have used an electric mixer as it was hard on the wrists to whip with all the ricotta in the mix, and I gave up trying to create a smooth emulsion as instructed! I also swapped out all of the sugar for stevia, as my husband is diabetic (using a bit less than half the amount, as per usual), and I used brown self raising flour, as that's all I had. And the end result was delicious! I will definitely make this again.
wcassity on September 04, 2022

Delicious - perfect balance of sweet, moist, fruity. Made as per the recipe.
kellilee on July 25, 2022

This was my first recipe to bake from Snacking Cakes and it was delicious. Eating a slice right now with my morning coffee. Followed the recipe exactly with fresh blueberries and blackberries. Love the size, the low sugar, the moistness from the oil and ricotta cheese. I have leftover ricotta cheese and will make another of Yossy's cakes next weekend.
mindyb on June 14, 2022

So good. I also added some lemon zest. Used mix of fresh blueberries and blackberries. Forgot to save some for top. No icing.
kari500 on May 24, 2022

Wow, this is a good cake. I'm not normally in love with blueberry cakes, but this is so light and fluffy and delicious that I adore it. I used frozen blueberries (and thanks to Emily Hope for her advice on how to put them in without discoloring) and added the zest of one lemon. Also used a bit more sugar on top. The whole family is crazy about this one, and I'll definitely make it again.
Running_with_Wools on July 30, 2021

I had all the ingredients in my fridge so I decided to bake this. It was really delicious, super moist, and rather substantial in texture due to the ricotta. Good with coffee.
MEmilyGrey on May 22, 2021

I've baked this a few times now, with variations. When using frozen berries, I drop half the batter into the cake pan, sprinkle two/thirds of the berries on, then dollop the rest of the batter on top and smooth it over the berries. Last, I sprinkle the remaining frozen berries on top and gently press into the batter. This avoids the unfortunate discoloration of the cake crumb that occurs when you mix frozen berries into the batter. Very good. Very moist.
Lepa on April 21, 2021

I like ricotta cakes but this one exceeded my expectations. I added a teaspoon of lemon zest but did not make icing (for a breakfast cake, this was perfect). The flavor and texture were wonderful. This is one of my favorite cakes from a collection that is full of gems.
Emily Hope on March 10, 2021

Another winner. Made as written, though I added lemon zest (per the variation) and used frozen berries (a combo of huckleberries, blueberries, and blackberries), which resulted in a slightly grey/blue tint to the batter, as well as a longer cooking time. However, the end result was moist and delicious. My only complaint is that it might be a tiny bit too oily--though this contributed to its staying moist on the following day. Next time I make it will try swapping out some of the white flour (I'm thinking of a combo of almond flour and spelt, or white whole wheat), and use olive oil as described in the variation. May also try to knock down the sugar a bit (though it was not too sweet at all).
bwhip on November 23, 2020

This cake was wonderful. Fluffy, tender, with great flavor. I used (only) blueberries, as that's what we had, and also added the zest of a large lemon. Quick and easy, and quite delicious.