If you’re looking for a delightful and refreshing dessert, my Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake is just what you’re looking for.
Moist and 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. Originating in Sicily, Italian lemon ricotta cake with a dense yet fluffy texture became a hit with Italian grandmothers and was soon seen across all the regions of Italy.
Because of its popularity, you’ll see many variations of easy lemon ricotta cake. But I think 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.”
Not only does setting up your ingredients ahead of time speed up the cooking process, it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make 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 the granulated sugar and unsalted butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or 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 that 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 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 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 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.
After the Italian lemon ricotta cake has cooled completely, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar, aka 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. And whether you’re a lemon lover or just looking for a delicious dessert to impress your friends and family, I promise you won’t be disappointed with my Italian lemon ricotta cake recipe.
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.
Baking Tools I use
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