Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

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This delicious, easy Italian Lemon ricotta cake is made with fresh lemons, creamy ricotta cheese, and a hint of vanilla extract for an irresistible sweet, citrusy flavor!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 493kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

For the lemon ricotta cake

170 g Unsalted butter room temperature
250 g Granulated sugar
3 Eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Zest of 2 lemon
3 tablespoons Lemon juice freshly squeezed
250 g Ricotta cheese
187 g All-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt

Whipped ricotta - optional to serve

250 g Ricotta cheese
40 g Powdered sugar

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 175°C / 347°F and grease your 9 inch / 23 cm springform pan.
Zest 2 lemons and massage the zest into the granulated sugar.
Cream butter with the lemon sugar until light and fluffy, then whip in the eggs one by one, vanilla extract, lemon juice then finally whip in the ricotta cheese.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together into the mixture and fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula just until combined.
Pour the lemon ricotta cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Bake the cake at 175°C / 347°F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cake completely cool then dust with powdered sugar, decorate with lemon zest, and serve with whipped ricotta (whip ricotta cheese with powdered sugar for 2-3 minutes).
Serve the cake the same day and store any leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container.

Notes

Ingredient notes:

Measure your ingredients with a digital scale for accuracy.
Use room-temperature ingredients, e.g. egg, butter, and ricotta cheese.

Baking technique notes:

Make sure you read my Expert Tips section above to maximize your success. A short recipe alone is not enough to cover all the necessary details and science behind baking.
When baking the cake, be careful not to overbake it. An overbaked cake can become too dry. Only bake it until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, then take the cake out of the oven. Since each oven is different, consider using an oven thermometer for accuracy.

Nutrition