This Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake is my go-to for any occasion - moist, tender, and absolutely delicious. The balance of citrus and the slight tang from the ricotta makes every bite irresistible.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Stands Out
We all love a good 2-in-1 deal, right? Well, this Lemon Ricotta Cake is exactly that - it's the perfect combination of a lemon cake and a ricotta cake. Here's why we love it:
- Simple Ingredients: It uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients like all-purpose flour, baking powder, and lemon.
- Perfect Moisture: The ricotta in this cake keeps it moist and delicious, just like in our Soffioni Abruzzesi.
- Easy to Make: This recipe uses basic cooking and baking techniques that anyone can master.
- Impressive Flavor: The fresh lemon juice and zest give this cake a bright, refreshing flavor, making it perfect for spring and summer.
- Versatile: This cake is perfect for any occasion, from breakfast to dessert, just like our Apple Sponge Cake.
Key Ingredients
- Ricotta – The ricotta adds a beautiful moistness to the cake, and it also gives it a subtle, creamy flavor.
- Lemon – The lemon juice and zest are what give this cake its bright, citrusy flavor. We use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor.
- Eggs – The eggs help to bind everything together and give the cake structure. Make sure to use room temperature eggs for the best results.
- Powdered Sugar – We use powdered sugar to make a simple glaze for the cake. It adds a sweet and tangy finish that complements the lemon flavor beautifully.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of our favorite variations and substitutions:
- Flour: This recipe calls for all-purpose flour, but you can easily substitute it with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
- Lemon: If you're a lemon lover, feel free to add more lemon zest to the batter for an extra citrusy kick.
- Sugar: We love the flavor and slight caramel color that cane sugar gives to this cake, but you can substitute it with granulated sugar or coconut sugar if that's what you have on hand.
How to Make Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour the loaf pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until fluffy. Add ricotta, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and melted butter. Beat until smooth.
Step 3: Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir gently and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Step 4: To make the glaze, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Frequently Asked Questions
The secret to the moistness of this lemon ricotta cake is, of course, the ricotta cheese. Ricotta is naturally creamy and adds a lovely, moist texture to the cake.
Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the loaf pan and then another 30 minutes on a wire rack before applying the glaze. This allows the cake to set and firm up slightly, preventing the glaze from being absorbed too quickly.
The cake is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Keep in mind that the toothpick test is the most reliable way to check for doneness.
This Italian lemon ricotta cake can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you want to keep it longer, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. Be sure to place it in an airtight container to maintain its freshness. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
Recipe
Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
For the Lemon Ricotta Loaf:
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup cane sugar + 2 tablespoon
- 7 oz part-skim ricotta room temperature
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice about ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest from ½ lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
For Coating the Loaf Pan:
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a loaf pan with butter and dust it with about 1 tablespoon flour moving the flour around until all sides are coated evenly. Shake off the excess flour.
- In a medium bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar and using a hand mixer beat for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Add in ricotta, lemon juice, zest, vanilla and butter and continue beating with a mixer for 30 seconds until smooth.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir gently with a rubber spatula until no lumps of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix. The batter should be slightly dense but pourable. If it’s too dense, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk.
- Pour the batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes until the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with fewer crumbs.
- Remove ricotta loaf from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Cool the loaf for another 30 minutes before applying the glaze.
- In a medium bowl whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice and smooth. If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of heavy cream or milk.
- Drizzle the glaze evenly over the loaf.
Notes
- Be sure your eggs and ricotta are at room temperature. This will help them mix more easily and evenly with the other ingredients, giving you a smoother batter.
- When zesting your lemon, make sure to only take the yellow part of the skin. The white part, or pith, can be bitter and affect the flavor of your cake.
- After adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, fold them in gently just until no lumps of flour remain. Overmixing can lead to a tougher, less tender cake.
- If your cake is browning too quickly on top, you can tent it with aluminum foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. This helps to prevent it from sticking to the pan and also allows the cake to set properly.
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before applying the glaze. Otherwise, the glaze can become too runny and slide right off the cake.
Nutrition
More Recipes You'll Enjoy
- Mini Vegan Chocolate Cake - This 4-inch Mini Vegan Chocolate Cake layered with a flavorful dairy-free ganache is an easy and indulgent dessert made from scratch. It's cute and perfect for two people.
- Mojito Cake - This Mojito Cake is creamy, citrusy, and tastes like a vacation on a plate. A fresh, crispy bite, thanks to the mint sugar makes it irresistible - it's a perfect combination of flavors!
- Poppy Seed Cake - This delicious vegan Poppy Seed Cake has a deliciously unique and nutty flavor of poppy seeds, with a rich fruit layer and homemade buttercream.
- Crepe Cake - This crepe cake recipe is a beautiful and delicious dessert that's surprisingly easy to make. It's a fail-proof recipe with an impressive 18 layers of thin crepes and creamy mascarpone filling.
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Leave a Reply