Easy Ricotta Cake With Lemon

When I say I am 100% confident you'll love this, I mean it 100%. This ricotta cake with lemon is absolutely irresistible, moist and fluffy. The brown butter adds a delicious autty flavor. Can it get better than this?

This ricotta cake with lemon is just perfection because...

I've been wanting to make a ricotta lemon cake FOR AGES. At first, my idea was to make easy-peasy cheesecake with few ingredients (still developing that recipe though!). But then...

Then one day I found this great recipe by Jul's Kitchen (that she adapted from a raspberry ricotta cake by BonAppetit) and I absolutely wanted to try it. And OMG it was just perfection (here's the photo!)

Anyways, a few days after making that deliciousness, I decided to try a variation: Why not making a ricotta cake with lemon instead? I thought.

It's just PERFECTION because 1. it's extremely easy to make, 2. the flavor is irresistible, 3. the consistency too;), 4. you won't need many ingredients; 5. it will last for a few days (unless you eat it all before).

Recipe ingredients

A few simple ingredients are required for this ricotta lemon cake, but they are essentials and I am sure you'll have them already.

• Eggs. Remember to bring them to room temperature so they blend more evenly in the batter.
• Fresh ricotta cheese. (also at room temperature) Buy the good one for this. I promise you won't regret. No need to drain the ricotta, just remove excess liquids if needed.
• Unsalted butter. That we are going to brown so there's no reason to soften it before. Browning butter is easy, don't worry.
• Lemon zest and juice. Buy organic ones (we don't wanna eat pesticides, right?). The amount of juice we are going to use is necessary just to increase the power of the leavening agent. Tip: try this cake with orange zest too;)
• All purpose flour. In Italy we have 00 flour and that's what I use. I tested this also with 'type 1' flour which is a combination of 00 and whole wheat (so it's not as refined). All purpose is ok.
• Light brown sugar. To add sweetness but also a tiny bit of flavor (and more moist). You can use regular white sugar.
• Baking powder (leavening agent), vanilla extract, salt.

How to make it

This lemon ricotta cake is incredibly easy to make, but it's important to follow the steps in order. You'll need 2 bowls, an electric mixer or a stand mixer, a spatula and...some music on 🎶 🙂

1. Brown your butter

First step is to make brown butter (using unsalted butter). If you're not sure of the process, follow this video. It's easier to watch. Then let it cool to room temperature (warm/cool is ok).

Preheat your oven at 180° C (355° F).

2. Wet ingredients first

Using a stand or electric hand mixer (+ a large bowl) at medium speed (with whisk attachment), whisk wet ingredients - whole milk ricotta cheese, 3 large eggs, vanilla extract - until you get a fluffy mixture.

3. Dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: all purpose flour (for this recipe though I've used 'type 1' flour which is not as refined as all purpose), light brown sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.

4. Combine

Add wet ingredients to flour mixture, then add brown butter. Gently stir with a spatula. Lastly add baking powder and fresh lemon juice (over the baking powder, so it forms bubbles). Stir again.

5. Bake and let cool

Time to grease a 8/9 inch springform pan (or regular cake pan/bundt pan) with oil/butter then line with parchment paper (sides and bottom of the pan). Pour batter into the prepared pan and add sliced almonds (lemon slices are optional) on top of the cake.

Baking time is about 50-60 minutes. Remember to let your cake cool onto a wire rack, then take it out of the cake pan. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top when you're about to serve.

What is the consistency of the batter?

If you're wondering what the cake batter should look like: this is a dense cake (but with soft delicious crumb), so batter will be more on the "thick" side, not runny.

How to serve lemon ricotta cake

This is a "very Italian" cake, and traditionally these types of cakes are served after a (lighter) meal as a dessert, or for breakfast. The latter option is my favorite, just to get off on the right foot. Perfect to enjoy with afternoon tea as well.

How to store this cake

When I bake something a little bit more moist and with fresh ingredients inside, like fruit, I like to store it into the fridge inside an airtight container. Then when I want to eat it, I warm it up in the microwave for just a few seconds. Becomes soft and AMAZING. It will last for a few days in the fridge.

Does ricotta cake need to be refrigerated?

As I just mentioned, it's better if you store it into the fridge, since it has ricotta and also lemon juice. You can also store it at room temperature but it won't last much longer.

Can I make this gluten free?

I personally haven't tested this with gluten free mix. I have seen people making it with almond flour, but in this recipe I wouldn't recommend the 1:1 substitution.

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Do you have other questions?

It's not easy to answer all the questions you may have, so PLEASE leave a comment below and I'm glad to reply! Thank you.

Enjoy this simple recipe, a lovely lemon ricotta cake!

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a rating and leave a comment! It would make me so happy!  🙂

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Don’t forget to pin and share this easy and delicious recipe!

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Loved this cake? Try my carrot cupcakes, easy and delicious for this time of the year!

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I own all content and photos’ copyright.
Before using my photos and recipes, please email me.
If you would like to republish a recipe, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.

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