Ina Garten Serves Her Celeb Guests This Easy Berry Breakfast Cake That Fans Call "A Beautiful Slice of Breakfast Heaven"

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a photo of Ina Garten
a photo of Ina Garten

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While Ina Garten is an entertaining icon, and we can only aspire to host a dinner party as chic and thoughtful as hers, we're learning more about at least one sure thing we have in common: our love of breakfast food, no matter the time of day.

Related: The #1 Mistake You're Making When Hosting a Dinner Party, According to Ina Garten & Nigella Lawson

In a recent podcast interview, the Food Network star revealed that many of her favorite date nights with Jeffrey involve breakfast-for-dinner menus. This weekend, in a new episode of Season 3 of Be My Guest, she welcomed actress Laura Linney to her Hamptons home with a breakfast cake that inspired the actor to exclaim, "Oh, come on!" at first bite, as a smile washed over her face.

The duo snacked on slices of that cake as they chatted about dinner party disasters, career milestones and more. Then, to cap off the episode, Linney taught Garten her family's signature shrimp boil recipe, and the two took off to tour and antique their way around Sag Harbor, New York.

Talk about a star-power-filled half-hour. While it had many memorable moments, Garten fans can't stop gushing over the aforementioned Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake. (If it's anything like our Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake, we're sold!)

Those who snagged Garten's latest book, Go-To Dinners: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, were treated to a sneak preview of this springy treat last fall. Our friend Trent Pheifer, creator of the blog Store-Bought Is Fine, whipped it up in December:

"The key to this supremely moist treat is ricotta and sour cream! Mine took an extra 10 minutes in the oven to finally set in the center and I was worried that the extra time would dry it out, but it was perfect! The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead and remains just as delicious as right out of the oven," Pheifer says.

Garten explains the idea behind the treat on its Food Network recipe page: "Everyone who makes this cake can't believe how easy it is! The ricotta and sour cream keep the cake moist and the blueberries and lemon zest give it lots of flavor. Even if you're having breakfast for dinner, you still need to have dessert, right?"

Related: Ina Garten Just Remodeled Her Home Kitchen, and We Want to Copy Everything

Regardless of the time of day, it seems simple to execute. To make Ina Garten's Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then grease and flour a 9-inch round pan, shaking out any excess flour. (A springform style is Ina's preferred vessel, although any 9-inch round or 8-inch square baking pan will do.)

Using a hand or stand mixer, combine room-temp butter with granulated sugar, and beat on medium for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Flip the mixer to low and add eggs, followed by ricotta cheese, sour cream, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix to combine; the batter will look a little curdled still. Garten confirms that this is A-OK!

In a small bowl, use a fork or whisk to stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Turn the mixer back on low, and slowly sprinkle the dry ingredients into the wet mixture; mix until just incorporated. Grab a spatula and gently fold two-thirds of your fresh blueberries into the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, shower the final one-third of the blueberries on top and press them in lightly, so they're not bulging on top.

Related: How to Store Blueberries to Extend Their Lifespan

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes (or, according to Pheifer, maybe a few more). Try inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, it's done. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then slice and enjoy the cake that one fan declares is "very easy to make and delicious!"

Another adds that they look forward to making it again and again with different seasonal fruits: "When I first viewed Ina's recipe, I knew that I had to recreate it, as ricotta and blueberries are absolute favorites. It's a beautiful slice of breakfast heaven! Very light and moist. I'm positive it will be a 'lifetime bake.'"

If you're feeling as inspired as we are to swoon like Linney over Garten's gorgeous cake, you can find the Blueberry Ricotta Breakfast Cake recipe here.