This savory tart is a hearty main course or appetizer that combines a savory compote of onions and blackberries with ricotta cheese on a flaky pie crust!
This post was created in partnership with Oregon Fruit Products. All opinions are ours.
Is it just me, or are you dying too so spring break can begin? After a gray winter, we dream of Easter, Passover and Mother’s Day, and not just that, but the food that goes with it!
This savory cake makes a great Easter recipe or Mother’s Day brunch and uses our main ingredient: canned blackberries. We began using Oregon Fruit Products canned fruit to incorporate the flavor and nutrients of fresh fruit year-round. It’s available in grocery stores nationwide and packed here in the United States during the summer. And a big plus: It’s non-GMO and there’s no high fructose corn syrup or BPA in the cans. When Oregon Fruit Products came to us to feature their canned blackberries in an Easter recipe, we wanted to leave the park. we came up with this recipe for a hearty tart with blackberries, onions and ricotta. Read on for the recipe!
How to make this savory cake
This savory cake is a treat. I repeat so as not to deceive myself: It’s a savory cake, not sweet! While blackberries and ricotta could theoretically make a sweet dish, this one is all salty. It is excellent as a vegetarian brunch main course or as an appetizer. Blackberries are combined with onions and some balsamic vinegar for a sweet and savory compote, smothered on a lemony ricotta filling.
And as a basis: a hearty cake dough made from wholemeal flour, fluffy and crispy. Top it all off with beautiful sprigs of green thyme and you have a really beautiful, tasty and unique main dish. As another option, the Savory Blackberry Onion Pie Sauce could even be used as a pizza topping!
Use leftover blackberries
This recipe uses just over half a can of blackberries. A few ways to use a multi-meal box with leftover blackberries:
- Mix them up on a salad
- Spread the goat cheese on the crostini
- Add them to the yogurt
- Sprinkle them over the oatmeal
Whether you’re looking for an Easter recipe or an elegant brunch main course, we hope you enjoy this savory cake. Happy Spring!
Looking for an Easter recipe?
If you’re looking for an Easter recipe or a Mother’s Day recipe, here are some of our other favorites:
This savory cake recipe is…
Vegetarian and naturally sweet.
The description
This savory tart is a hearty main course or appetizer that combines a savory compote of onions and blackberries with ricotta cheese on a flaky pie crust!
For the savory pastries
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), chilled
- 5 tablespoons ice water
For the savory cake
- 1 cup Whole milk ricotta cheese
- seasoning of 1/2 big lemon
- Few ½ teaspoon kosher salt, shared
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 semi-sweet yellow onion
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ¾ cup blackberries 1 15-ounce can Oregon Fruit Products blackberries (whole berries in light syrup)
- ½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Prepare the savory cake dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and kosher salt. Set the stand mixer with the paddle attachment on low and slowly add the unsalted butter cut into small pieces. Mix until dough is crumbly with small knobs of butter. (Alternatively, use a cookie cutter to mix the butter into the batter.) Slowly add ice water to stand mixer until batter comes together. If necessary, add another ½ tablespoon of water to bring it together. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it once or twice until the dough is smooth. Shape it into a rough rectangle and wrap it in plastic wrap. If desired, refrigerate for 15 minutes. (If made the day before and refrigerated overnight, let the dough rest for about 30 minutes or until it’s soft enough to roll out.)
- Prepare the ricotta filling: In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and some black peppercorns.
- Bake the savory tart: Roll out the savory pie dough into a large, thin rectangle, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spread the ricotta filling in a thin layer about 1/2 inch from the edge of the dough. Brush the exposed dough with the melted butter. Bake 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Prepare the ripe onion sauce: Thinly slice the onion and measure out ½ cup. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the balsamic vinegar, reduce the heat to low where it will be slightly bubbly and cook for another 10 minutes, until the vinegar is cooked. Meanwhile, drain and measure the blackberries and measure the thyme leaves. To the pan, add 2/3 cup water, blackberries, thyme leaves, and a little ¼ tsp kosher salt (preservative). Simmer for 3 minutes. Scoop a few spoonfuls of juice from the pan into a small bowl, then stir in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch until smooth. Return the cornstarch mixture to the pan and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste and adjust if necessary (the salt and lemon should bring out the flavors but not be salty).
- When crust and ricotta are cooked, spread with berries and garnish with fresh thyme leaves. Cut into pieces and serve.
- Category: Salty Pie
- Method: Cooked
- Kitchen: American
Keywords: Spicy cake, savory cake batter
