Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe

Lemon ricotta cake is a soft, moist and delicious Italian cake made with ricotta cheese, lemon zest, butter, sugar, flour and eggs. The ricotta makes the cake really soft, tender, while the lemon zest gives it a lovely fresh flavour. Perfect cake to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe

Lemon Cakes is one of my all time favourite cake flavours. I could never get enough of lemon cakes, you got to check my lemon drizzle cake and lemon yogurt cake. So here I am with another recipe, This time I added ricotta cheese in this and it turned out pretty damn delicious.

Jump to:

• About Lemon Ricotta Cake
• Ingredients
• Ingredients
• Expert Tips
• FAQ 
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The combination of lemon and ricotta works magic in this cake and creates a lovely soft and light texture in this cake. You can easily make this cake as orange cake, instead of lemon zest, add orange juice for lemon juice. 

About Lemon Ricotta Cake

Over the years, I have made quite a few different cake recipes, but this combination of lemon and ricotta cheese quickly became one of my favorites. The lemon gives the cake a nice fresh flavour, while the ricotta makes it soft, moist and tender.

I recently made this cake because I had some ricotta cheese sitting in the fridge and honestly, I didn't expect it to disappear so quickly. We had a few slices with tea in the evening and somehow ended up having it again the next morning for breakfast. Because kids loved it so much. 

This is also a very simple cake to make at home. There is no need for any fancy frosting or decoration. Just dust some powdered sugar on top and it is ready to serve. You can also serve it with some whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

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Ricotta cake batter is super easy to make, all you need is a bowl, whisk and spatula. You add all the ingredients one by one and mix. First start by rubbing sugar with lemon zest, this extract all the natural lemon oil from the zest and gives the cake intense lemon flavour.

Then you add the ingredients one by one and combine. I used storebought buffalo ricotta cheese, you can use homemade ricotta cheese too.

I made this cake using a bundt pan, which gives it a beautiful shape and it looks a little more special. But you can easily use a regular round or square baking pan if you don't have a bundt pan. 

You can also add some chocolate chips, chopped nuts, almonds or walnuts to the batter if you like. I personally like keeping this cake simple, but these little additions are a nice way to change it up. 

The recipe is pretty simple too and there are no complicated steps to make this cake. Once it is baked, you can simply dust some powdered sugar on top and serve. I love having a slice with a cup of tea or coffee, but it also makes a lovely dessert for special occasions. 

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Ingredients

• All purpose flour : I used All purpose flour in this recipe which provides tender texture to the cake.
• Salt : a pinch of cake enhance the taste of the cake.
• Baking powder : Baking powder helps the cake rise, making it light and fluffy. 
• Sugar : I used granulated sugar for the cake. You cannot substitute with brown sugar.
• Lemon zest : Fresh lemon zest adds a fragrant lemon flavour without overpowering the cake flavour. 
• Eggs : You need eggs in this cake which helps the cake set and rise.
• Ricotta cheese : It is best to use full fat ricotta cheese, you can use homemade ricotta cake or store bought.
• Vanilla extract : Vanilla adds a lovely aroma and enhances the flavours of the lemon and ricotta. 
• Melted butter : You can use butter or oil for this cake.
• Lemon juice : Lemon juice adds a fresh, tangy flavour that balances the richness of the ricotta and butter.
• Milk : Use full fat milk for a rich taste. 

Ingredients

1)Preheat oven to 180 degree C (360 degree F). Grease a 7 inch bundt pan or any pan with oil, sprinkle with flour and coat on all sides. Tap off the excess. Set aside.

2)Now take a mixing bowl. Add sugar, lemon zest in the bowl. Make sure to grate only the yellow part of lemon and not the white which can turn bitter.

3)rub it well so the lemon zest is combined with the sugar.

4)Add in freshly squeezed lemon juice.

5)Add in couple of eggs.

6)use a whisk to combine eggs and lemon juice with the sugar.

7)Add in melted butter as well. You can use oil instead of butter.

8)Whisk this well until combined.

9)Now take your ricotta cheese. I used buffalo ricotta cheese, you can use homemade too.

10)Add the ricotta cheese into the egg mixture.

11)Use a whisk to combine it into the batter. The mixture will look little crumbly. This is your wet ingredients.

12)Now add in plain flour into the creamed ricotta mix.

13)Add in baking powder and salt into the flour.

14)Fold the batter gently using a spatula.

15)Gently add in milk and fold the batter gently until it forms into a smooth batter.

16)Now the batter is ready.

17)Spoon this into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

18)Now place it into the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 55 mins until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Once baked, Remove them from oven and let it cool for 10 mins in the pan, now invert it on a cooling rack and cool completely.

19)Once the cake is cooled, Dust with icing sugar.

20)Slice and serve.

Expert Tips

Ricotta cheese - use full fat for better texture. If your ricotta has a lot of liquid, strain it before adding it to the batter. Too much liquid can make the cake overly moist. 

About Lemon - Freshly grated lemon zest gives the cake a lovely bright and natural lemon flavour. Try to avoid the white part of the lemon, as it can taste bitter.  Strain the lemon juice to remove the seeds. 

No over mixing - Once you add the flour, gently mix until everything is just combined. Over-mixing can make the cake dense. 

Over Baking - Baking time can vary depending on the pan and oven. Start checking around 40 to 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. 

Cool before un moulding - Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes. This helps the cake hold its shape and prevents it from breaking. 

Storage - Store the lemon ricotta cake in an airtight container. It stays good at room temperature for 1 day. You can also refrigerate for 10 days. 

Serving - Serve the lemon ricotta cake with whipped cream, cream cheese frosting or with fresh strawberries for a more indulgent dessert. It also pairs nicely with dusted powdered sugar on top along with a cup of tea or coffee. 

FAQ 

Q. Can I use low fat ricotta for this cake ?

Yes, you can, but whole milk ricotta is recommended. It gives the cake a richer and softer texture. Using low fat ricotta may make the cake slightly less creamy. 

Q. Can I use mascarpone instead of ricotta ? 

I would recommend using ricotta for this recipe. Mascarpone has a different texture and consistency compared to ricotta. So, the cake may not turn out the same. 

Q. Can I make this cake with orange instead of lemon ? 

Absolutely ! You can use fresh orange zest and juice instead of lemon to make a delicious orange ricotta cake.

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If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @aarthi198689@gmail.com and I'll help as soon as I can.

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