Craving a comforting lemon cake for breakfast or tea? Try this Lemon Ricotta Cake! It’s extra moist with a lighter texture thanks to ricotta cheese. Plus, it only takes 15 minutes to prep—the oven does the rest!
Why you should try this recipe
- Quick and super easy to make, just combine the ingredients together, transfer to a loaf pan, and bake in the oven while you read a book or complete other tasks. This is the perfect recipe for when you are short on time but still want a delicious cake for breakfast or tea time!
- Intensely lemony – I went with the zest of four lemons, yes, four! Plus some juice. Enough with lemon cake recipes that barely taste like lemon! And for your next lemon cake craving, check out my Buttery Lemon Bundt Cake with Lemon Syrup Glaze. Equally lemony. 🍋
- Inspired by traditional Italian lemon ricotta cakes. The addition of ricotta cheese makes this cake super moist while remaining fluffy. Yum!
- A rustic, traditional, European-style loaf cake with a beautiful crack on top. For loaf cake aficionados out there, you can also check out my Chocolate Loaf Cake with Chocolate Almond Glaze or Pistachio Raspberry Cake.
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The ingredients you’ll need
- Ricotta cheese – look for fresh Italian ricotta cheese on the label. We don’t want mature ricotta cheese for this recipe. Any leftovers? Use them to make Whipped Ricotta Dip With Roasted Olives or Creamy Red Pepper Pasta With Ricotta!
- Four lemons – preferably organic, as this recipe uses both zest and juice!
- Unsalted butter – look for European-style or cultured butter on the label. These kinds of butter are higher in butterfat and will yield a better result for browning. It really makes a difference!
- Cane sugar – for a subtle toffee flavor. It can be substituted with granulated sugar. Need inspiration to use cane sugar, give my Rustic Rhubarb Tart or French Apple Cake a try!
- Free-range eggs – act as a binding agent for this cake.
- All-purpose flour – for the lightest, softest texture.
- Baking powder – for a well-risen, soft cake with a beautiful golden crust.
- Fine sea salt – acts as a flavor enhancer.
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the end of the post.)
Craving a savory lemon recipe?🍋 Check out my Lemon Pasta (Pasta Al Limone)!
How to make Lemon Ricotta Cake?
(Note: please see the recipe card below for the complete written instructions and measurements.)
Start by greasing and lining the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) with the fan on.
- Grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch (21.5 cm x 11.5 cm) loaf pan with room-temperature butter.
- Line with a piece of parchment paper the same length as the bottom of your pan. Make sure to leave parchment overhangs on both sides to help remove the cake from the pan.
Prepare the batter.
- Using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest and mix until well incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the eggs and beat well until combined. (It is okay if the mixture looks a bit separated.)
- Add the ricotta cheese and lemon juice and beat until just combined, about 10 seconds.
Note: From this point onward, do not overwork the batter.
- Add the flaky sea salt, then sift the baking powder and flour.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined (and no pockets of flour remain).
- Transfer the batter to the loaf pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes until risen, cooked through, and golden in color.
Note: to make sure the cake is cooked, insert a toothpick. If it comes out with moist crumbs, you are good to go.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan.
- Let it cool down completely. It’s ready! Enjoy with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
Nim Keys – Useful Tips
Weigh your ingredients. Precision is key in baking. A digital kitchen scale is more accurate than measuring cups, ensuring consistent results. Since weight is exact and volume can vary, a scale eliminates inconsistencies. A kitchen scale will always deliver better results than cups and tablespoons.
Ingredients’ temperature is key to getting the best result.
- Ideally, take butter, eggs, and ricotta 30 minutes before starting baking. Chop up the butter into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and let it sit at room temperature while you prepare all the other ingredients and preheat your oven.
If you forgot to take the ingredients in advance:
- Cut the butter into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, then place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at low power (about 20%) for 20 seconds.
- Place the eggs in a bowl filled with warm tap water for 5 minutes. Pat them dry with a kitchen cloth, and they’ll be good to go.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely not 🙂
Ricotta is a fresh, curd-type Italian whey cheese (and, technically speaking, not really a cheese, but a dairy by-product (called latticino in Italian)). With a mild and creamy taste, ricotta cheese is often used in Italian baking to add moisture and create a soft and cloud-like texture to cakes and pastries.
For sure! I like using light brown sugar for its subtle toffee taste and because it is less refined. You can, however, substitute it with a 1:1 ratio of granulated sugar. Equally delicious!
Though I have never tested it, I believe it would work by replacing all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio of gluten-free baking flour (with added xanthan gum).
How long does this Lemon Ricotta Cake keep?
This recipe can be kept for 3 days on the counter, covered with cling film.
Other Delicious Cake Recipes
Lemon Ricotta Cake
PRINT SAVEINGREDIENTS
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter (softened, at room temperature, plus more to grease the pan)
- 180 g (1 scant cup) cane sugar
- the zest of 4 lemons (+ 60ml (¼ cup) juice)
- 3 large free-range eggs (at room temperature)
- 250 g (1 cup) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 180 g (1 ⅓ cup) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C) with the fan on.
- Grease an 8.5 x 4.5-inch (21.5 cm x 11.5 cm) loaf pan with room-temperature butter.
- Line with a piece of parchment paper the same length as the bottom of your pan. Make sure to leave parchment overhangs on both sides to help remove the cake from the pan (see picture above in the post).
- Using a handheld mixer, mix the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
- Add the lemon zest and mix until well incorporated, about 30 seconds.
- Add the eggs and beat well until combined. (It is okay if the mixture looks a bit separated.)
- Add the ricotta cheese and lemon juice and beat until just combined, about 10 seconds.
- Add the flaky sea salt, and sift the baking powder and flour.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently stir until just combined and no pockets of flour remain. Do not overwork the batter of the cake will lose its lightness.
- Transfer the batter to the loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes until risen, cooked through, and golden in color.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it from the pan.
- Let it cool down completely. It’s ready! Enjoy with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
NOTES
- Ideally, take butter, eggs, and ricotta 30 minutes before starting baking.
- Chop up the butter into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and let it sit at room temperature while you prepare all the other ingredients and preheat your oven.
- Cut the butter into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes, then place them in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at low power (about 20%) for 20 seconds.
- Place the eggs in a bowl filled with warm tap water for 5 minutes. Pat them dry with a kitchen cloth, and they’ll be good to go.
the texture is amazing! So spongy!