Name: Lemon ricotta cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1 ¼ cup (180 gr) all purpose flour; 1 cup (250 gr) ricotta cheese; 1 cup (250 gr) sugar; ⅓ cup (80 gr) butter (melted); 3 medium eggs (yolks and whites separated); zest of one lemon; juice of one lemon; ½ tsp vanilla extract; 2 ½ tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; pinch of salt

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This lemon ricotta cake recipe is so moist, soft and delicate. A perfect Italian dessert that you can serve also for breakfast with a cappuccino or a glass of cold milk.

This cake is also perfect to decorate. Add a nice lemon frosting and there you have one wonderful and amazing fluffy cake for your special occasions.

Italians have very simple taste for cakes. When it comes to this baking good, they prefer to just dust them with powdered sugar and that’s it. Simple, I tell you.

But, this doesn’t mean their cakes are unflavoured and not appetising, on the contrary, they focus more in the cake itself and leave out the decoration only for special occasions.

This lemon ricotta cake is a classic in Italy, an example how something so simple can be so delicious too.

This cake is made mostly as something to enjoy for breakfast with cappuccino or caffellatte; but also for la merenda (afternoon snack). Is a moist cake thanks to the ricotta cheese and the small addition of lemon makes it just perfect.

Step by Step Recipe

Prepare your ingredients and make sure everything is at room temperature. Including the melted butter.

Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F. Grease and dust with flour a 18cm/ 7″ cake pan. A bundt pan would be also a good alternative.

Sift flour together with baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Set aside.

Flour sifted with baking powder and baking soda on a bowl.

In a larger bowl put ricotta cheese, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla extract. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, then mix until combined.

Mix in flour to the bowl with ricotta mixture and whisk until everything is combined and there are no crumbs left.

Adding and incorporating flour into ricotta mixture.

Place egg whites and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then beat until stiff peaks forms.

Mix in the beaten egg whites to the batter, working with a spatula and slowly with movements from down to upside until everything is combined.

Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for about 1 hour or until a stick comes out clean.

Take out from the oven, place the pan on a cooling rack and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Run a thin spatula around the pan edges to loosen the sides. Place the wire rack over the top of the pan, flip it, and tap it lightly to remove the cake.

Tips & Notes

Prepare all ingredients before starting with the recipe. Weight, divide, melt, etc.
Pre-heat the oven before starting to make this cake. It takes about 15 minutes in total to make the cake, and the oven should be ready by the time you finish.
Do not open the oven door in the first 30 minutes or you’ll compromise the cake’s fluffiness.
Don’t take off the cake from the baking pan right after you baked it. Give it some time to rest, then put in in a cooling rack.

Watch How To Make It

Did you like this Lemon Ricotta Cake? – Try also this Ricotta and Pear Crostata or this Ricotta Italian Pie. Do let me know in the comments below if you liked them and don’t forget to tags us in Instagram: @cappuccino.blog