Description
Moist Italian lemon ricotta cake with bright citrus flavor and tender crumb. This easy lemon ricotta cake is simple, elegant, and bakery-worthy. It offers a refined dessert with minimal effort, using ricotta for a soft, cheesecake-like texture balanced by fresh lemon.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for topping)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for topping)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk sugar into the butter until smooth, then whisk in eggs one at a time.
- Stir in lemon zest and ricotta until light and evenly blended.
- Sprinkle flour, baking powder, and salt over the batter and fold gently just until incorporated.
- Transfer batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Place pan in the oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350°F.
- Bake for 38 to 42 minutes until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
- Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and drizzle over the cooled cake before slicing.
Notes
- Mix gently once the flour is added to maintain a tender crumb.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian