Soft Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

Name: Soft Lemon Ricotta Tea 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 13, 2026) // 1 Comment

Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

This lemon ricotta cake is a tender, moist dessert with bright citrus flavor and creamy ricotta folded right into the batter for soft, delicate texture. The combination of lemon zest and fresh juice gives a lively lemon aroma without being tart, and a simple sweet dusting of powdered sugar adds just the right finish. Easy to bake but elegant enough for guests, this cake brings a burst of brightness to brunch, dessert, or afternoon coffee. Each slice is soft and tender with a light crumb you'll come back to again and again.

slice of lemon ricotta cake on a white plate with lemons and the whole cake on a light grey surface. — Soft, moist cake with bright lemon zest and ricotta goodness

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! Or at least I did. The combination of lemon + ricotta is always a winner (I see you lemon ricotta pancakes)

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

Flavor & Texture Builders

Ricotta cheese: Adds moisture and a soft, tender crumb without heaviness; it's what makes this cake uniquely fluffy.
Lemon zest & juice: Provide fresh citrus aroma and flavor without undue acidity.
Butter: Keeps the cake moist with a delicate crumb - often a hallmark of ricotta cakes.
Eggs: Help the cake rise and give structure while keeping it soft.\

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.

Featured Review

"The cake is moist and delicious, tastes even better the next day! It's lightly sweetened, which is perfect for a summer dessert. I will definitely bake this again!!"
Joy

Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

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.

Let's Bake This Lemony Delight

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

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. — Mix the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

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. — Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Then add half of the dry ingredients.

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. — Add the ricotta and lemon juice, and mix until just combined. Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients.

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. — Fold dry ingredients in until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake.

confectioners sugar dusted on top of lemon ricotta cake on a light grey surface with lemons, spatula and plates. — Cool cake on the wire rack then dust with powdered sugar.

This lemon cake is one of my favorites, it melts in your mouth, so soft and delicate. Similar but so different is this lemon cream cheese pound cake, another recipe my family loves.

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.
After testing this recipe multiple times, I learned that folding in ricotta gently preserves the cake's soft texture instead of deflating it.
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.

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

Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Recipe Card

Soft Lemon Ricotta Tea Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Print Recipe

Total Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Yield: 8-10 Slices 1x

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 in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low-medium speed combine butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Add the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined, don't overmix.
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. 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.
Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and store it in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.