Lemon Ricotta Cake

Lemon Ricotta Cake is one of the most incredible cakes I have ever tasted– it is dense, but not overpowering with a light lemon flavor that makes it perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or even a snack. Dress it up with some powdered sugar or sprinkle it with berries, this easy and impressive delight comes together in only 5 minutes of mixing time. Bake for about 45 minutes, and you have yourself a delicious Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake.

I’m watching what I eat so most of the baked goods I post I send to work with my husband, or give to neighbors. This was something I knew I couldn’t have around the house, so off to work with my husband it went. I managed to sneak a slice off of the plate before he brought it with him…whoops. If you are reading this and you work with my husband…sorry about that empty spot on the plate. 🙂 

Room temperature butter will mix for the smoothest, most dense cake.

To start making this Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake, you’ll cream room temperature butter and sugar together until creamy. Then, add whole ricotta cheese, and continue mixing until it’s a smooth, creamy, no lumpy mixture.

Once the batter is smooth, add fresh lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and a bit of vanilla extract. Mix it up, then add in the remaining ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt and flour). It will form a thick batter once the powdered ingredients are added. Be cautious not to over mix, but to also mix long enough to get the lumps out.

Add the batter to a springform pan sprayed with nonstick spray, and bake for about 45-55 minutes. As everyones oven temperature can vary, I recommend checking the cake as early as 45 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, it is done. Batter on the toothpick? Put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Once the cake is done, allow for it to sit for about 30 minutes before adding powdered sugar.

If the cake is still warm, the powdered sugar will ‘sink’ and become transparent. Because this cake is so dense, its height will fall a little bit once it is out of the oven- this is expected and normal for this recipe.

See how rich this cake is? It is mouthwateringly delicious! But…my favorite part of it, is that it isn’t too sweet, so it’s the perfect balanced dessert.

This cake is stored best in the refrigerator on a ceramic plate covered with plastic wrap.

If you are looking for other delicious cake recipes, here are a few that we love. If you are a fan of the Lemon Ricotta combination, you could also try this pasta recipe!

• Lemon Loaf Cake
• Margarita Cupcakes
• Strawberry Icebox Cake
• Fresh Key Lime Cake

Cheers to easy cakes…that are also impressive! – Rachel (P.S. we added a video for this recipe to make it even easier on you!)

Lemon Ricotta Cake

A delicious and fresh cake that comes together simply but impresses all who enjoy it. It can be served as dessert, or for brunch served with berries.

5 from 12 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 people

Author: Kathi & Rachel

Equipment

• Springform Pan

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup room temperature butter (equivalent to 1.5 sticks)
• 1.5 cups white granulated sugar
• 15 oz whole ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1.5 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)

Optional Toppings

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar, lemon slices or berries

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer) combine butter and sugar together until fully mixed and a creamy texture. Add ricotta cheese, and mix until fully combined, and mixture is a fluffy and creamy consistency. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix.
• Add eggs one at a time to batter, blending each one until fully incorporated into the batter. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend for about 30-45 seconds until smooth.
• Add batter to springform pan. Bak for about 45-55 minutes, checking the cake at 45 minutes with a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake. If it's clean, remove cake from oven. If not, add cake back to oven and check every 10 minutes until fully cooked.
• Let cake cool for 30 minutes and top as desired with either powdered sugar, or berries. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 375mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 687IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg