The Booze You Need To Brighten Up Cranberry Ricotta Cake

Tasting Table's cranberry ricotta cake recipe has a secret ingredient — and it's a boozy one. The recipe infuses a tablespoon of Grand Marnier, an orange liqueur, to brighten up the flavor of the cake. The recipe also includes orange zest, and the liqueur heightens that flavor. Between the bright tartness of the orange and cranberry flavors, as well as the creaminess of the ricotta, the end result is so delicious and moist that you'll definitely want a second slice of it. 

Recipe developer Jessica Morone notes that you can use just about any orange liqueur in place of the Grand Marnier, as it can get a bit pricey. If you want to avoid alcohol, Morone says you can swap it out for orange juice because, remember, the orange flavor is what's important here. However, to get to most of the recipe, it's probably best to stick with the boozy ingredient.

The cranberry ricotta cake — made complete by the addition of the orange liqueur — is the perfect dessert to indulge in after dinner. And, if you want to make your night a bit more decadent, then you might as well have a nightcap, too. So, which boozy drink should you pair with the cranberry ricotta cake?

If you want to stick with the flavors of cranberry or orange, you could make yourself a cranberry rosemary spritzer (which could also be made as a mocktail) for a cranberry-focused drink, or go with a citrusy mai tai cocktail for a more orange-infused flavor. There's also a classic cosmopolitan, which packs plenty of cranberry flavor, or the orange juice-based tequila sunrise. To avoid overshadowing the flavors of the cake, you might want to go with something more neutral yet still refreshing. In that case, you could opt for a straightforward gin and tonic or vodka soda.