I am of the opinion that cake is not something that should be saved for special occasions and special occasions only. There is so much room for cake in our everyday lives, especially when it’s a fruit-filled snacking cake like this little number. Full of fresh juicy peaches and creamy ricotta, this is the type of cake that fits in at dessert, breakfast, or afternoon tea, but I’ve been known to just snag a slice to eat by hand while walking past it on the counter.

There’s no butter or oil in this cake – you can thank the ricotta for keeping the crumb nice and moist, which it definitely is. The peaches help too – there are juicy chunks running throughout the cake and a pretty little spiral of slices to adorn the top. And while this cake is certainly a celebration of some of summer’s best produce, it works just as well with frozen fruit, so feel free to thaw and use your frozen stash as a reminder of sunnier days when you’re well past stonefruit season.

The preparation here is simple and requires no whipping, stiff peaks, folding, sifting, or fancy techniques. It’s a two-bowl situation, but really that’s just to give you a chance to incorporate the baking powder into the flour, so you could probably get away with mixing everything up in a single bowl.

The edges are golden brown and lightly crisp while the center is anything but dry… it’s nearly creamy. And you don’t need frosting or a glaze or an icing to carry this, it’s all about that lovely peach flavor. And a lovely cake it is, truly.