Lemon desserts are the best desserts, and this lemon ricotta cake is no exception! So soft and tangy with the slight cheesiness of the ricotta, I could eat the whole cake! Its delicious and a must for your baking repertoire.
This cake is a little ray of sunshine in the middle of winter, so fresh and bright!
Ingredients
- lemons - fresh and tangy, lemon in a dessert is my favourite way to end a meal. The speckles of zest in the cake look so pretty.
- ricotta cheese - the ricotta in this recipe adds a hit of cheesiness and a lovely crumb.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This seems like a difficult cake to make because of so many processes, but once you have made it a couple of times, it becomes easy to throw together in a pinch!
Step 1: Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
Step 2: Add ricotta, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest, flour and baking powder.
Step 3: Whisk egg whites until soft peaks. Then gently add to the batter.
Step 4: Bake in oven for 35 minutes at 180 degrees
Hint: It seems so obvious, but the amount of times I have squeezed the juice from the lemon and then realised I need the zest is embarrassing! My biggest tip for this cake is to zest before you squeeze the lemons.
Substitutions
- Gluten free - replace the plain flour for gluten free flour, 1:1
- Oranges - if lemon is too much or you don't like sharp citrus, replace with orange zest and fresh orange juice instead
Equipment
A good stand mixer is always going to make baking easier. I love my kitchen aid stand mixer, its so versatile and it looks and feels like "we mean business!" in the kitchen. It has so many attachments, this investment goes beyond baking recipes, you'll love it!
Storage
Keep covered for up to 3 days, in a airtight container.
Top Tip
If making this cake ahead of time, do not dust the icing sugar on it. Store it in a cool dry place in an airtight container and then when you are ready to serve it, allow it come to room temperature and then dust the icing sugar over the cake.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favourite dishes to serve with lemon ricotta cake:
Lemon Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 75 g butter
- ¾ C caster sugar
- ⅓ C (75g) ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs, seperated
- 1 ½ C plain flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- zest 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoon icing sugar, dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃. Grease a round 22cm baking tin or springform pan with butter and the base with baking paper. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar until it is pale and smooth. Then add the ricotta and mix well.
- Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time. Then add 2tbsp plain flour, lemon zest and juice. Mix until well combined. Then add baking powder and remaining flour.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Then gently fold the egg whites into the lemon ricotta batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or skewer comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before transferring onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before dusting with icing sugar. Enjoy!
Let me know if you have tried this recipe