Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

This Italian lemon ricotta cake has a moist and soft texture and is loaded with lemon flavor. The recipe is so easy to make and perfect for beginners!

this recipe

About This Cake

Italian lemon ricotta cake is a popular recipe known in the country as torta alla ricotta e limone. This cake is often served as a dessert, for breakfast with cappuccino or caffellatte, or also for la merenda (afternoon snack).

The cake has a soft and buttery texture with hints of fresh lemon thanks to the ricotta cheese and the addition of lemon zest and juice.

Italians have a 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.

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

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

The recipe is very simple to make and I also share some useful tips for you if it’s the first time you making this cake.

Now, let’s see the ingredients one by one.

Ingredients Needed

• Ricotta – It adds moisture and a creamy-buttery flavor, use whole milk ricotta cheese for best results.
• Lemon – For freshness, aroma, and summery flavor. Use a large lemon juice and zest, or two small lemons.
• Unsalted Butter – You will need to melt it first so it can combine easily into the batter.
• Eggs – Yolks and whites separated.
• Flour – All-purpose flour, sifted.
• Baking powder & baking soda – Together they create the magic for this fluffy cake.
• Vanilla – Use extract or sub with other types of vanilla.
• Sugar – For sweetness, please read the notes below.

How To Make Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

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

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F. Grease and dust with flour a 7-inch/ 18cm cake pan or line it with parchment paper. A bundt pan would be also a good alternative.

Start with the dry ingredients. Sift flour together with baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl add the full fat ricotta cheese, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla extract.

Add lemon zest and lemon juice, then mix until combined.

Add to the bowl the flour you prepared before and mix until everything is combined and there are no lumps left.

Place egg whites and a pinch of salt into a bowl, then use a hand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form.

Add the beaten egg whites to the batter, working with a spatula and slowly with movements from down to up until everything is nicely combined.

Add the batter into the baking pan and use a spatula to nicely even the top. Then bake for about 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Remove the freshly baked cake from the oven, place the pan on a cooling rack and let it sit for 10 minutes.

After that, 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.

Allow to cool down and then dust with icing sugar, slice it and serve as it is or with some fresh berries and whipped cream on the side.

If it’s your first time making an Italian lemon ricotta cake, I strongly recommend you read the section below before you start.

Tips And Notes

• Prepare all ingredients before starting with this cake recipe. Weigh, divide, melt, etc.
• For best results, please use a kitchen scale and properly weigh the ingredients.
• I have tried it with less sugar and believe me, it wasn’t as fluffy and moist as it’s supposed to be. This cake is amazing, but you will need to add this amount of sugar.
• The key to light and fluffy ricotta cake is beating the egg whites and carefully folding them into the batter. Don’t skip this step!
• 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 remove it and place it in in a cooling rack.
• If you feel tempted to mix the whole eggs with the other ingredients, you can do it, but be aware that the cake won’t have the same moist crumb and fluffiness as it should.

How To Store

You can store this ricotta cake at room temperature up to 2 days. Place it on a cake stand or a container, cover it loosely and leave it in your countertop.

After that, you will need to transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for another 2-3 days if you want to.

Italian lemon ricotta cake freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap it tightly with cling film, then place in a container and freeze it.

Once ready to eat, thaw at room temperature and enjoy.

Watch How To Make It

Hungry for more? Try other similar recipes like this Italian Ricotta Pie or our delicious Pear and Ricotta Crostata.

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