Lemon Ricotta Cake (with Icing)

A slice of lemon ricotta cake on a plate, garnished with icing and lemon zest.

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This Lemon Ricotta Cake is soft, buttery and full of fresh lemon flavor. Ricotta gives the crumb tenderness, while a simple lemon icing adds a bright finish. I’d serve this light dessert with afternoon coffee, but it’s just as good for a spring brunch or after a heavy meal.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: Slices

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Equipment

Springform pan
Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Cake

15 ounces Ricotta cheese (drained) - 425 grams
¾ cup Unsalted butter (room temperature) - 170 grams
1½ cups Sugar - 300 grams
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Lemon zest - From 1 Lemon
2 tbsp Lemon juice - From 1 Lemon
3 Large eggs (room temperature)
1¾ cups All-purpose flour - 219 grams
2 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Kosher salt

For the Icing

1½ cups Powdered Sugar sifted - 180 grams
2½ tbsp Lemon Juice - 37 grams

Instructions

Prepare the pan and mix the ricotta and butter. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9-inch springform pan and line its base with a circle of parchment paper. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the drained creamy ricotta and room-temperature butter on medium speed until combined. The mixture won’t look completely smooth at this stage.
Make lemon sugar. In a small bowl, rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with your fingers.
Add sugar to the butter-ricotta mixture. Add it to the mixer bowl and beat for 3 minutes, then scrape down the sides. Make sure the sugar is well incorporated.
Add the flavorings. Mix in the vanilla extract and fresh lemon juice for about 30 seconds.
Add eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 60 seconds after each addition until you reach a smooth consistency. You will still see small pieces of ricotta cheese in the batter, and that’s completely fine and expected.
Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl. With the mixer on low, add them gradually and mix just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to catch any unmixed batter.
Bake. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 45–48 minutes, until the top springs back when gently pressed and a tester inserted near the center comes out without wet batter. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it and transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ice the cake. Stir the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cake and let it set for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Key Ingredient Notes:

Ricotta Cheese: Gives the cake its tender texture. Drain off excess liquid before mixing; whole milk ricotta is a good choice.
Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter in desserts, personally. Let it soften to room temperature so it mixes readily with the ricotta. If you only have salted, that’s fine. Just omit the salt from the dry ingredients.

Tips for Success:

Drain the ricotta if it’s watery. Different ricotta brands will have varying levels of moisture. I prefer a dryer ricotta in this recipe. Excess liquid can make the batter too loose. If the ricotta you purchased is very loose and wet, drain it in a fine-mesh sieve; there’s no need to press out every bit of moisture.
Zest before you juice. It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon. Rub the zest into the sugar before it goes into the mixer so its oils get distributed through the cake.
No stand mixer? No problem. Use a large mixing bowl and an electric hand mixer.
Stop mixing once the flour is incorporated. Give the bowl a final scrape with a spatula, but avoid beating the finished batter longer than necessary. Working the flour too much will develop gluten and could change the texture of the finished cake.
Check the centre before taking the cake out. The springy top is a useful cue, but a tester gives you a better look at whether the middle has finished baking.

Nutrition