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This Lemon Ricotta Cake is light, moist, and bursting with bright citrus flavor—perfect for spring brunches, afternoon tea, or anytime you want a fresh, elegant dessert.
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Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake – Light, Fluffy & Tangy

This Lemon Ricotta Cake is light, moist, and bursting with bright citrus flavor—perfect for spring brunches, afternoon tea, or anytime you want a fresh, elegant dessert.
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Lemon Ricotta Cake
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

  • 120 grams 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter - soft, at room temperature
  • 120 grams 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon Caster Sugar
  • 3 tsp Lemon Zest - about 2 large lemon
  • 60 ml 1/4 Lemon Juice - about 1 large lemon
  • 250 grams 8.75 oz or 1 cup Full Fat Ricotta Cheese - at room temperature
  • 3 large Eggs - at room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 200 grams 1 1/3 cup Plain / All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 pinch of Fine Table Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Place a piece of baking paper at the bottom of a springform pan that measures 24cm (9 inches). Also, lightly coat the edges of the pan with grease.
  • In a large bowl or mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest on medium to medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Add the ricotta cheese and mix for a couple of minutes. Then, add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly until combined. Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.
  • Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Slowly mix until just combined to avoid overworking the batter.
  • Transfer the batter into the prepared Springform Pan. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread and smooth out the batter if needed.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Let the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.
  • Optional: Dust the cake with a little icing sugar and lemon zest before serving.

Notes

  1. Aim for a very light, pale, and fluffy texture in the batter, which will create an airy crumb for the cake.
  2. It's best to use a hand or stand mixer for better results, but you can also cream and mix the ingredients by hand with a whisk if preferred.
  3. Ensure the butter is at room temperature or soft enough to cream properly; otherwise, you may end up with small chunks of unmixed butter in the batter.
  4. Don't worry if the batter seems to split or curdle when you add the lemon juice; this is a normal reaction. It will come back together once you add the dry ingredients.
  5. The cake will be very soft when it comes out of the oven and might break if you try to remove it from the pan straight away. Let it to cool completely before attempting to remove it from the pan.