Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe

A slice of Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake on a plate with a fork and fresh berries.

5 from 9 votes

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe

Indulge the vibrant and citrusy flavors of the delightful Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake. This is a perfect fusion of creamy ricotta cheese and zesty lemons, delivering a rich, moist, and refreshing dessert. Top it with whipped cream and fresh berries for a perfect Spring or Summer celebration!

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature, (1 ½ sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese room temperature
3 large eggs room temperature
1 large lemon zest and juices
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients (1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt) and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl add 1 ½ sticks butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat with a stand mixer for a few minutes, until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes.
Then add 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese and whip again for 5-8 minutes, until light and airy.
Add 3 eggs, lemon zest and juice, and 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix again.
Add dry ingredients, and using a spatula, fold it in.
Pour the batter in a pre-greased cake pan. Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
When done, take out of the oven and let sit on the counter for 10 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan, peeling off the parchment paper from the bottom. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool off completely.

Notes

The main trick to make this cake light and airy, we need to whip ricotta cheese with butter and sugar very well for at least 5-8 minutes. If you skip this step, the cake will come out much denser (but still tasty).
If your lemons are not very "lemony", you can easily add lemon zest from 2 lemons to enhance the flavor.
It's important for the ingredients (like butter, ricotta cheese, and eggs) to be room temperature. This way, when you mix them together, they will blend smoothly, without being grainy.
You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days.

Nutrition