Lemon Ricotta Cake

Name: Lemon Ricotta Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4oz (1/2 Cup) Salted Butter, at room temperature; 200 Grams (1 Cup) Granulated Sugar; 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest; 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature; 15oz (2 Cup - 2 Tablespoons) Whole Milk Ricotta, at room temperature; 2oz (1/4 Cup) Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice; 250 Grams (2 Cups) All-Purpose Flour; 1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda; 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder; 1/2 Teaspoon Salt; Confectioners Sugar for dusting

By Elizabeth Waterson // Jun 20, 2024 (Updated Feb 25, 2025) // 1 Comment

Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

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This lemon ricotta cake recipe is perfect for any occasion. With its light and fluffy texture and tangy lemon flavor, it's sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Get the easy and delicious recipe here.

slice of lemon ricotta cake on a white plate with lemons and the whole cake on a light grey surface.

This traditional Italian dessert, Lemon Ricotta Cake, has a soft, moist crumb with a simple, not overly sweet flavor. This cake is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. You will find yourself going back for another sliver of cake, again and again!

slice taken from lemon ricotta cake on a wire rack on a light grey surface.

Let's get to the recipe

Ingredients

For this lemon ricotta cake you will need:

Salted Butter. You will need the butter at room temperature so that the butter can whip up with the sugar.
Granulated Sugar. The sugar will cream with the butter to help create tiny air bubbles which will help the cake bake up.
Lemon Zest. The zest helps create that lemon flavor, mixing it with the sugar helps release more of the natural lemon oils for a deeper lemon flavor. The large amount of lemon zest helps prevent the need for lemon extract.
Large Eggs. The eggs need to be at room temperature to properly incorporate into the rest of the cake batter. They help create structure and richness to the cake.
Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese. The star of the show this ricotta helps create a super tender, soft, moist cake. Make sure it is also at room temperature.
Fresh Lemon Juice. The lemon juice provides moisture and lemon flavor for this cake.
All-Purpose Flour. Make sure you measure your flour properly, too much or too little flour can ruin the cake.
Baking Soda. The baking soda is activated by the acid in the lemon juice.
Baking Powder. The baking powder is already activated, so it starts helping the cake rise right away.
Salt. The salt helps enhance the flavor profile of all of the other ingredients.

A dusting of confectioner sugar/ powdered sugar is a beautiful topping for this simple cake. Whipped cream and fresh berries would also be a great topping to this cake.

ingredients for lemon ricotta cake on a sheet pan on a light grey surface.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325F/163C heavily grease a 9-inch springform pan, and set aside. If you use a normal cake pan I would suggest lining the pan with parchment paper to help you more easily remove it from the pan once baked.

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low-medium speed combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest.

sugar, butter and lemon zest mixed together in a glass bowl on a light grey surface with a blue and white linen and lemons.

Add the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

eggs mixed into creamed butter and sugar mixture in an glass bowl on a light grey surface with a blue and white linen and lemons.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

dry ingredients whisked together in a glass bowl then added to wet ingredients in a glass bowl on a light grey surface with a blue and white linen and lemons.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined, don't overmix.

ricotta added to lemon cake batter then dry ingredients added in a glass bowl on a light grey surface with a blue and white linen and lemons.

Now add the ricotta and lemon juice, and mix until just combined. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes, until the cake is done.

lemon ricotta cake batter mixed together then added to a springform cake pan on a light grey surface with a blue and white linen and lemons.

You can test it is done by slightly pressing the top of the cake and if it bounces back the cake is done, you will notice the edges of the cake are pulling away from the sides of the pan. You can also insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to see if there is any wet batter. Take the cake out of the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes then release the cake from the springform pan to cool completely on the rack.

confectioners sugar dusted on top of lemon ricotta cake on a light grey surface with lemons, spatula and plates.

Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

up close of a half eaten ricotta lemon cake on a white plate next to a fork and lemons on a light grey surface.

Tips for Success

Use room temperature ingredients to ensure all of the ingredients are properly incorporated together.
Don't overmix the batter, you risk creating a tough cake.
Full-fat Ricotta is ideal for the cake for the best flavor and texture but you can use Skim-milk Ricotta if that is all you have on hand.

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★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card