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Close up shot of a slice of lemon ricotta cake.
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Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

Moist and rich, this easy lemon ricotta cake uses simple ingredients to bring you one very tasty dessert. A simplified take on a traditional Italian cake, perfect for celebrations like Christmas, Easter or Mother's Day!
Course Cake, Dessert, Easter
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 10 slices
Calories 419kcal
Cost $10

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 180°C / 360°F. Grease a springform pan or tall cake pan with butter or oil, or line with baking paper.
  • Add softened butter and sugar into a large bowl or stand mixer. Mix for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy.
    180 g butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • Add the ricotta cheese and continue mixing on a medium-high setting for 5 minutes.
    2 cups ricotta cheese
  • In a small jug, whisk together the eggsvanilla essence and lemon zest. Pour into the ricotta mix and incorporate on a low-medium setting. Note: The batter will look curdled at this stage – don’t worry! It’s normal for this batter, and your cake will be perfect once cooked.
    3 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla essence, 1 zest of one lemon
  • Add the self raising flour and slowly fold through the mixture using a wooden spoon. Note: Don't over mix this step, continue until just combined.
    1 ½ cups self raising flour
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out out the surface with the back of the spoon. Transfer to the bottom or middle rack in the oven and bake for around 40-50 minutes or until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean. Note: Watch for the top as it starts to brown, this is usually a sign it's almost ready.
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Take out of the pan, slice and serve. Optional: Dust with icing sugar.
    icing sugar / powdered sugar

Video

Notes

  • Ricotta - Regular supermarket ricotta is best - aim for whole milk, full fat ricotta for creamy, moist texture with a hint of sweetness. Some delicatessens will sell ricotta that has been stored in water, so it’s best to avoid these versions. If you have a watery ricotta, always drain it first. This will give you the best texture in the final cake.
  • Eggs - For best results, make sure to use room-temperature eggs.
  • Sugar – We recommend caster sugar, aka super fine sugar. You can also use raw sugar as a substitute.
  • Self Raising Flour - This already has baking powder in the mix, if using all purpose flour, add in 1.5 tsp of baking powder and 1/2 tsp of baking soda.
  • Lemon Zest - You can substitute your lemon zest with orange in a pinch or leave it out.
    Vanilla Essence - Leave out if you prefer, or substitute with almond essence if you like.
  • Batter - Make sure to beat the batter for a good few minutes to avoid an eggy/spongy texture in the final cake. Remember, it will look curdled when you add the eggs into the mix - this is totally normal!
  • Baking - Always use the middle rack so it doesn't cook too quickly. Check frequently to avoid the top browning too much. If it's starting to brown before the cake has cooked through, you can cover the top with a layer of alfoil.
  • Using Two Pans? - If you're splitting the batter into two shallower pans, you may need to reduce the cooking time. Check at the 30 minute mark and if a skewer comes out clean after piercing the centre, it's done.
  • Store in the Fridge - Since this cake includes ricotta (aka cheese), it should be kept refrigerated and served chilled. 
  • Topping Ideas - Serve with whipped cream and berries such as strawberries, blueberries or raspberries. For an even sweeter treat, top with a sprinkling of crystallised sugar.
  • Add Flavour - A tablespoon or two of Amaretto, Frangelico or Marsala can give the cake quite a nice addition of flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 177mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 741IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1mg