When I say “breakfast cake,” I’m not thinking of an ooey gooey coffee cake that goes beautifully with a cup of coffee on a lazy Sunday, but isn’t exactly the breakfast of champions. I’m thinking of a lightly sweet cake made with just a touch of butter and packed with fruit that we can feel good about eating for breakfast any day of the week. Like this raspberry ricotta gluten free breakfast cake. You feel me?

When baking “light,” the biggest pitfall to avoid is a tough cake that just isn’t very tender. Both sugar and fat are tenderizers, and when you cut back on both of them you have to be careful you don’t go too far. But don’t worry. This cake gets the job done.

You can see for yourself that this breakfast cake is still super tender and moist, even with just a few tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup of sugar in the whole cake. The fresh raspberries help keep the cake moist and the ricotta cheese doesn’t hurt either. The trick to baking with raspberries is to keep them whole by using a light touch. If you do crush a few raspberries during preparation, though, it will only affect the appearance, not the taste. This breakfast cake would also be delightful with whole fresh blueberries or hulled and diced strawberries. And if you’re looking to make it without ricotta cheese, head on over to my recipe for gluten free strawberry breakfast cake!