If you’re looking for a delightful and refreshing dessert, my Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake is just what you’re looking for.
Moist, delicious, and exploding with lemony flavor, my Italian lemon ricotta cake is a lemon lover’s dream. And it’s the perfect cake for any occasion, whether it’s a summertime picnic or a cozy evening at home.
This rich, moist, flavorful cake, filled with lemon flavor and creamy ricotta, is made using simple ingredients. Italian lemon ricotta cake originated in Sicily. It has a dense yet fluffy texture and quickly became popular among Italian grandmothers, spreading across all of Italy.
Because of its popularity, you’ll see many variations of easy lemon ricotta cake. But I guarantee this is the Best Lemon Ricotta Cake recipe you’ll find!
I love the vibrant, citrusy flavor of an Italian Lemon Ricotta cake. The perfect blend of ingredients creates a rich, moist, and refreshing dessert that your whole family will love.
If you love lemon desserts as much as I do, you’re going to love my lemon cream pie.
Ingredients to make Lemon Ricotta Cake
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Lemon Ricotta Cake. In Chef Speak, this is called the “Mise en Place,” which translates to “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients beforehand speeds up the cooking process. It also helps make sure you have all the necessary ingredients for the dish.
*Only use fresh lemons to make this cake; bottled lemon juice will ruin the flavor.
How to make Lemon Ricotta Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan using butter and powdered sugar and set aside until needed.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
- Whisk the ingredients together until fully combined. Set aside until needed.
- Add granulated sugar and unsalted butter to a bowl. Attach the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer.
- Beat the sugar and butter together on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Scape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the ricotta cheese to the creamed butter.
- Mix together until light and fluffy (4 to 5 minutes). Scape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
I have a friend who uses cottage cheese to make this cake, and she swears no one can tell the difference. But I have never tried her method.
- Add the large eggs to the ricotta mixture one at a time.
- Whip on medium speed to combine each egg, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract, fresh lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice to the mixture.
- Mix until fully combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
- Mix just enough to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure all the flour has been incorporated, but do not overmix.
Be careful not to overmix the cake batter. For a fluffy texture and moist crumb, mix just enough to incorporate the ingredients.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Place the lemon ricotta cake in the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Check if the cake is set. Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
- Let the cake cool in the cake pan for 15 minutes on a cooling rack before removing the springform pan. Continue to let the cake cool on the wire rack until completely cooled.
The Italian lemon ricotta cake needs to cool completely. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, also known as icing sugar. This step is optional. Serve this traditional Italian cake with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
If you prefer, you can make a lemon glaze for the cake instead of dusting it with powdered sugar.
This moist lemon ricotta cake is a perfect balance of tangy and sweet. It’s a simple recipe using simple ingredients.
Do you love lemons? Or are you looking for a tasty dessert to impress your friends and family? My Italian lemon ricotta cake recipe will not disappoint you.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can make this cake ahead of time. Store it covered at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can also freeze it for up to three months. To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil before placing it in the freezer.
Using a pan that is too small for the recipe can cause the cake to sink in the middle. It’s important to use the right-sized pan when baking. The other reason could be that too much liquid was used. Also, opening the oven or moving pans during baking can also cause this to happen.
Yes, you can use part-skim ricotta cheese in this recipe. However, keep in mind that full-fat ricotta cheese will give the cake a richer, creamier texture.
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Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Equipment
- springform pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened (1 ½ sticks) – if you use salted butter eliminate the salt
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice juice from one large lemon
- lemon zest zest from one large lemon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan using butter and powdered sugar. Set aside until needed.
- Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk together until fully combined. Set aside until needed.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the granulated sugar and butter together on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.Scape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy (4 to 5 minutes).Scape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs on medium speed to the ricotta mixture one at a time, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the mixture and mix until fully combined.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to the ricotta mixture. Mix just enough to combine.Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure all the flour has been incorporated, but do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
- Place the cake on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack before removing the springform pan. Continue to let the cake cool on the rack until completely cooled.
- Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries or it can be served simply, by dusting the ricotta cake with powdered sugar.
Linda
Can I make this recipe in a Bundt pan or will it be impossible to remove it?
Chef Dennis Littley
I think its going to be too hard to remove from a bundt pan. It should work in a tube pan with a removable bottom.
Tracey
Easy delicious cake! Highly recommend this recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed my ricotta cake!
Patricia Holden
Can you use gluten free flour?
Chef Dennis Littley
I’ve never made it with GF flour so I’m not sure if other changes would be necessary. I know cup for cup GF flour usually works well, but I don’t know for sure.
Victoria Hutton
This is a fabulous treat! I’ve made it several times and shared the recipe with friends who rave about it! I’ll never use another recipe than this!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you’ve been enjoying my cake recipe!
Sharon E Prentice
Does the Ricotta cheese need to be at room temperature? I have subscribed to your site but have not received recipes.
Chef Dennis Littley
No it does not need to be at room temperature. I checked your subscription and you subscribed on Dec. 18th and unsubscribed on Dec. 22. Thats why you’re not receiving recipes.
jen
Made this tonight, absolutely delicious and rather easy. We had it with just a dusting of confectionary sugar on top but will serve with berries in the Summer or Spring. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed one of my favorite cakes!
PN
I followed the recipe exactly. It was easy to follow and no special skill is needed. I used a home-made baking stip. The cake was divine. Subtly sweet with enticing lemon flavor. This one is a keeper.
Thank you for sharing your recipe and talent.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my lemon ricotta cake! It’s one of my wife’s favorite desserts.
Trish
Can I use an 8 inch springform pan?
Chef Dennis Littley
you’re going to have about 2 cups too much batter. so you can either reduce the recipe by one quarter or use the extra batter to make cupcakes.
Sharon D
I’ve tried this before and it was fabulous. Will be making for guests for Christmas.
Maggie Gallagher
Two questions. Can I make this with a graham cracker crust or does the flour make a crust while baking?
And do you think these could be made into cupcakes?
Chef Dennis Littley
There is no crust with this cake, just the cake. Yes you can make these into cupcakes.
Maureen Francis
I made this cake and it’s delicious, I will certainly make it again. I must say it was a little more dense at the bottom, might it be because I used a baking strip? 🤔 Next time I will try it without the baking strip.
Thanks for the recipe.
Maureen
Maureen Francis
I intend to try this cake, my question is can I use a baking strip when baking it as I usually do with other cakes.
Thank you,
Maureen
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes you can use a baking strip to make this cake.
Lucia
have to come back and write a comment because this is the easiest ricotta i ever made. And i LOVE ricotta cake.
Thank you for the recipie.
Chris
Can I use a 8” springform pan instead? How long would I need to bake it if I use this pan?
Chef Dennis Littley
For an 8 inch pan reduce the ingredients by 25%. Cooking time should be about 5 minutes less
Chris
I ended up using a 9” cake pan, lined the bottom with parchment paper and baked for 60 minutes. It was perfect, moist and delicious! Thanks!
Michael
This makes a moist, dense cake with lots of lemon flavor and just the right amount of sweetness. I cut recipe in half and used a 5-inch springform pan, and baked approximately 35 minutes.
Served with whipped cream.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thanks for the great review and letting me know you enjoyed the cake! Happy to hear the half recipe worked in the 5 inch springform pan.