Any-Berry Lemon Ricotta Cake

When it comes to ricotta, think beyond fillings and pastas. Ricotta’s mild flavor and high fat content makes it an ideal addition to cakes, creating a perfectly moist and tender crumb. Full-fat supermarket ricotta is your friend here—fancier brands may not have the moisture content you want for this recipe, and using a creamy ricotta is key. Aside from an oh-so-soft texture, this cake boasts light, floral flavors thanks to the lemon, olive oil, and berries. Instead of folding the fruit straight into the batter, which can sometimes sink or, worse, create gummy pools of uncooked batter (not cute), the berries here get coarsely smashed and combined with a bit of sugar until syrupy, then spooned over the top of the cake just before baking for jammy berry swirls throughout each slice. —Zaynab Issa