Thanks to full-fat ricotta, fresh lemon juice and other simple, straightforward ingredients, this is the best lemon ricotta cake ever. It's excellent with a strong cup of coffee or a smidge of limoncello.
Lemon Ricotta Cake
Updated on Jan. 24, 2025
It’s always nice to keep a light snacking cake around the house. Unlike a layered cake, a snacking cake is subtly sweet and won’t cause a sugar crash 20 minutes later. Cut a sliver for breakfast, for an afternoon treat or for a light dessert—this lemon ricotta cake is perfect at any time.
Our lemon cake with ricotta cheese will satisfy any sweet craving, and it deserves the spotlight on your kitchen’s cake stand. Fluffy, light and refreshingly citrusy, this just-sweet-enough cake makes for easy baking and requires only a light dusting of confectioners’ sugar for the finishing touch.
Lemon Ricotta Cake Ingredients
- All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure flour the right way so you’re not accidentally packing too much into the measuring cup. That will lead to a dense cake, not a light and fluffy one.
- Baking powder: Baking powder helps the cake rise nice and tall.
- Butter: Soften your butter by taking it out of the fridge 30 minutes before starting the ricotta and lemon cake recipe. If you need it sooner, soften the butter quickly by cutting it into cubes and gently microwaving it in short 10-second bursts.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the ricotta and lemon cake recipe. Avoid brown sugar, though, as its caramel and molasses notes will not pair well with the lemon and ricotta.
- Eggs: Since your eggs need to come to room temperature, take them out of the fridge when you remove the butter too.
- Ricotta: Full-fat ricotta is the way to go here. Ricotta makes the cake stay nice and moist while imparting a tangy, rich flavor.
- Lemons: Repeat after me: Fresh lemon juice only! Be sure to zest the lemons first, as they’re easier to zest when they’re intact.
- Vanilla extract: Feel free to use vanilla extract or vanilla paste in this lemon cake with ricotta cheese.
- Confectioners’ sugar: This is a no-frosting cake. Instead, dust it with confectioners’ sugar for a subtle sweetness.
Directions
Step 1: Prep the pan
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and coat it with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt, and set it aside.
Step 2: Make the batter
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed until incorporated, one to two minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is fluffy and pale in color, three to four minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, and beat in the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract until smooth, two to three minutes.
Slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Step 3: Bake the cake
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
Pop the pan into the oven and bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Step 4: Dust with confectioners’ sugar
Run a knife around the outer edge of the cake to loosen it from the springform pan, then remove the sides of the pan. Just before serving, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar, slice it and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the citrus: This ricotta cake can take on almost any other citrus, especially oranges, sumo oranges or blood oranges.
- Stack into a layered cake: If you do want to turn this snacking cake into a layered cake, slice the cake in half lengthwise and frost the layers with whipped cream, vanilla buttercream, lemon buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
How to Store Lemon Ricotta Cake
Store lemon ricotta cake in an airtight container or a glass cake dome at room temperature for up to three days. Or, extend the cake’s freshness and store it in the fridge for up to five days.
Can you freeze lemon ricotta cake?
Yes, you can freeze lemon ricotta cake. Let it cool to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in two layers of storage wrap. Freeze the cake for up to two months. When you’re ready to enjoy the cake again, thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Lemon Ricotta Cake Tips
What should you serve with lemon ricotta cake?
Besides confectioners’ sugar, you can serve ricotta cake with homemade whipped cream, Greek yogurt, fresh berries, honey, jam or a scoop of gelato. The cake is lovely with a strong cup of coffee or tea too. Or, an after-dinner drink, particularly limoncello, is the perfect companion.
Can you use part-skim ricotta instead of full-fat?
Sure, you can use part-skim ricotta to make this cake, but it won’t be as flavorful as full-fat ricotta.
What other pan can you use to bake lemon ricotta cake?
Instead of a 9-inch springform pan, bake this lemon cake with ricotta cheese in an 11×7-inch baking pan, a Bundt pan or a 9-inch square pan, if desired.
Easy Lemon Ricotta Cake
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
40 min
Yield
1 cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
- Optional: Fresh fruit and whipped cream
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9-in. springform pan with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar at medium speed until incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fluffy and pale in color, 3-4 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low; beat in ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Slowly beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack.
- Run a knife around the edge of the cake; remove sides of pan. Dust with powdered sugar; slice and serve.
Nutrition Facts
12 pieces: 253 calories, 12g fat (7g saturated fat), 79mg cholesterol, 246mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (20g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.
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Made from scratch and using a 100-year-old recipe, this cake uses simple pantry ingredients and is moist and delicious. Served plain or with fruits and cream, it's a wonderful addition to any recipe collection. —Claudia Lamascolo, Melbourne, Florida
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