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  5. I made Ina Garten's easy breakfast cake for Mother's Day. My mom gives it a 10/10 — and so will yours.

I made Ina Garten's easy breakfast cake for Mother's Day. My mom gives it a 10/10 and so will yours.

Anneta Konstantinides   

I made Ina Garten's easy breakfast cake for Mother's Day. My mom gives it a 10/10 — and so will yours.
I made Ina Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake, and it's perfect for Mother's Day.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider
  • I made Ina Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake, which she said is perfect for Mother's Day.
  • The cake is super moist, light, and delicious — and so easy to make before a big brunch.

I've been whipping up Ina Garten's dishes for years and always love trying her breakfast and dessert recipes.

Whether it's her delicious cacio e pepe scrambled eggs or her famous mocha icebox cake, the "Barefoot Contessa" star is always creating fun new twists on classic dishes.

So, I decided to try Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake, which she said is perfect for Mother's Day.

Ina Garten's breakfast cake features ricotta, lemon zest, and plenty of blueberries.

Ina Garten
The breakfast cake also features sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

To make Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake, which serves eight, you'll need:

  • 2 cups (12 ounces) fresh blueberries
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 10 tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • Sifted powdered sugar, for dusting

Before I began making Garten's breakfast cake, I needed to do a little prep.

Before I began making Garten
First I zested my lemon.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I grated the lemon zest so it would be ready to go once I was mixing the batter.

I also greased and floured my 9-inch round springform pan.

I also greased and floured my 9-inch round springform pan.
I greased my pan with butter before adding the flour.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I made sure to shake out any excess flour, per Garten's instructions. I also preheated the oven, setting it to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then, it was time to make the batter!

Then, it was time to make the batter!
I added the butter and sugar to the bowl of my electric mixer.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

First I added the butter and sugar into the bowl of my electric mixture, which was fitted with the paddle attachment.

I beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for three minutes, until the mixture was light and fluffy.

I beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for three minutes, until the mixture was light and fluffy.
I beat the butter and sugar together for three minutes.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I made sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

Next, I added the eggs, then threw in the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest and mixed everything together.

Next, I added the eggs, then threw in the ricotta, sour cream, vanilla, and lemon zest and mixed everything together.
Garten says your batter will look curdled at this stage.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I turned the mixer to low and added each egg one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then dumped everything else into the mixture.

Garten notes that your batter will look curdled at this stage, so don't worry if it appears that way!

In a separate bowl, I mixed my dry ingredients together.

In a separate bowl, I mixed my dry ingredients together.
My dry ingredients included the flour, baking powder, and salt.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I added the flour, baking powder, and one teaspoon of salt and gave everything a quick stir.

Then I added the dry ingredients to the batter.

Then I added the dry ingredients to the batter.
I mixed my dry ingredients until they were just incorporated.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

With the mixer still on low I slowly added the dry ingredients, mixing just until they were incorporated.

Once my batter was ready, I began adding the blueberries.

Once my batter was ready, I began adding the blueberries.
I folded two-thirds of my blueberries into the batter.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I folded two-thirds of my two cups of blueberries into the batter, using a rubber spatula.

Then I transferred the batter into my springform pan.

Then I transferred the batter into my springform pan.
My batter in the springform pan.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I made sure to smooth the top of the batter.

I added the remaining blueberries on top of the cake.

I added the remaining blueberries on top of the cake.
Per Garten's instructions, I lightly pressed each blueberry into the batter.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I lightly pressed each blueberry into the surface.

Then it was time to get baking!

Then it was time to get baking!
It took around 50 minutes for my cake to bake.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I threw my blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake into the preheated oven. Garten recommends baking for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

It took about 50 minutes for my cake to bake, but every oven is different so keep checking every couple minutes after you hit the 45-minute mark.

Once my breakfast cake was ready, I transferred it to a wire rack.

Once my breakfast cake was ready, I transferred it to a wire rack.
The cake needs to cool for an additional 15 minutes.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Garten says the cake needs to cool in the pan for an additional 15 minutes.

Then I removed the sides of my springform pan and lightly dusted the top with powdered sugar. The cake looked beautiful!

Then I removed the sides of my springform pan and lightly dusted the top with powdered sugar. The cake looked beautiful!
I thought Garten's breakfast cake looked very impressive.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake definitely makes for an impressive centerpiece. Its warm golden hue looked so sweet and comforting in my kitchen, and the bright bursts of blueberry added some fun color and joyfulness.

It was clear when I cut a slice that the cake was going to be delightfully fluffy.

It was clear when I cut a slice that the cake was going to be delightfully fluffy.
The cake also smelled incredible as I sliced into it.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I could see a generous amount of blueberries in each slice, and the cake smelled incredible.

My parents and I loved Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake.

My parents and I loved Garten
Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake was deliciously moist.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Garten's breakfast cake tastes as light and fluffy as it looks. The ricotta and sour cream keep every bite super moist, just as Garten promised, and the sweet blueberries pair well with the zingy and bright lemon zest, which really shines through.

The cake also had a nice crust on the outside, which added some contrasting texture to the super soft and luscious middle.

"This was superb," my mom declared. "I give it a 10/10."

Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake should be on everyone's brunch menu.

Garten
I'm definitely going to make Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake again.      Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

Garten's cake was super easy to make, and it tasted just as good the next day. If you want to save yourself some time before hosting a big brunch, you could easily make this ahead the night before.

Whether you're looking for a special dish to celebrate Mother's Day, or just want a fun new dessert, Garten's blueberry-ricotta breakfast cake is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

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