No-bake ricotta and peach crumb cake
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 60 min
- Cook time: 1 min
- Serving: 8
- Cost: Average
- Note + 4 hours and 15 minutes resting in the fridge
PRESENTATION
When summer heat hits, this no-bake sbriciolata with ricotta cream and peaches? Total game-changer on Italian tables. Especially in spots like Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany—places that really embrace seasonal goodness. And you know, juicy peaches at their absolute best. This chilled treat is just perfect for enjoying them.
The base? Oh, it’s all about that crunchy biscuit layer. Those amaretti cookies give it a really, really good almond aroma. Result? A golden crumbly texture that's a nice switch from your typical cheesecake crust. Pretty simple. Add a thin layer of peach or apricot jam, and you get this tangy sweetness that ties everything together beautifully.
Now, the filling. It's a dreamy mix of fresh ricotta and diced peaches, making each bite creamy and cool—seriously good. Think of it as a refined, lighter version of a ricotta cream dessert. The contrast, for real, is everything: a crisp base, a soft and moist filling, and that pop of flavor from the amaretti—super tasty.
Unlike your usual peach crumble, this peach crumble cake skips the oven entirely. Which is great. Keeps it fresh and straightforward. A no-bake sbriciolata is ideal for summer gatherings—offers a sweet finish without being too heavy. Northern and Central Italians? They’re pros at using what's in season, so peaches and ricotta together? Makes perfect sense.
You’ll see this no-bake Italian dessert at family picnics or laid-back Sunday lunches. People can't resist sneaking an extra slice—no question. Those amaretti add a unique aromatic element, setting it apart from other easy desserts. Instead of baking, you just let it chill until it’s tender and cool. Perfect, right? For warm nights when you crave something sweet without the fuss.
It’s a celebration of Italian flavors and textures, and such a clever way to enjoy summer peaches. Whether you are a fan of classic sbriciolata or just on the hunt for an easy ricotta dessert with a twist, this one's gonna get people talking. For sure.
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INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for the base (9-inch pan)
- Cookies 6.3 oz (180 g)
- Amaretti cookies 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Butter 0.8 cup (180 g) - approx. 3/4 cup
- For the filling
- Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1.7 cups (400 g)
- Powdered sugar ⅓ cup (40 g)
- Peach jam 0.7 cup (150 g)
- Peach 2
- For the topping
- Cookies 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Amaretti cookies 3.5 oz (100 g)
- Butter 7 tbsp (100 g)
- For decoration
- Powdered sugar to taste
How to prepare No-bake ricotta and peach crumb cake
To prepare the no-bake crumb cake with ricotta and peaches, start with the cake base: melt the butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) and let it cool slightly 1. Place the plain dry cookies and the amaretti in a food processor 2 and pulse until finely ground 3.
Pour the resulting powder into a bowl, add the melted butter 4 and mix well with a spoon. At this point, take a springform pan with a removable base, 22 centimeters in diameter (about a 9-inch pan); line the bottom with a round of parchment paper cut to the same size; to keep it firmly in place, simply grease the bottom of the pan with a bit of butter. Now pour a little more than half of the cookie mixture into the pan 5 and begin shaping it to form the sides, then add the remaining half of the mixture and press it well to create the central base of your cake 6.
Once this is done 7, place the pan in the refrigerator to rest for about 10–15 minutes. In the meantime, you can prepare the cream. Sieve the ricotta into a bowl to remove any lumps 8, add the sifted powdered sugar 9 and mix gently.
Transfer the cream into a piping bag and put it in the fridge 10. Now move on to making the crunchy topping. In the food processor, pulse half of the remaining plain cookies and half of the remaining amaretti until reduced to powder, as you did for the base. Take the other half of the cookies and amaretti and roughly chop them with a knife on a cutting board 11 to obtain a more rustic crumble 12.
In a bowl combine the cookie powder, the coarsely chopped crumble 13 and the melted butter 14, then mix with a spoon until the mixture is uniform 15.
Halve the peaches without peeling them, remove the pit 16 and cut them into cubes 17. When the cookie base has rested long enough, take it out of the fridge and spread a thin, even layer of jam over it 18.
Arrange the peaches evenly over the jam 19. Pipe the cream 20 and level it with a spatula 21.
Spread the cookie crumbs over the ricotta cream 22 until it is completely covered 23 and place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. After the resting time, carefully remove the cake from the pan, place it on a serving plate and decorate as you like with a dusting of powdered sugar 34. The no-bake crumb cake with ricotta and peaches is finally ready to be served.