Lemon Ricotta Cake
This incredibly moist Lemon Ricotta Cake is refreshingly delicious and simple to make. The lemon zest and juice add great flavor. Paired with with our Lemon Buttercream Frosting, it's a decadent treat everyone will love. A great make-ahead dessert that's easy to prep in advance.
Equipment
- 1 Deep 9×9 baking cake pan
- Stand mixer or Electric hand-held mixer recommended
- Parchment paper
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Instructions
- Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature: Fill two containers with hot water from your tap. Submerge the whole milk ricotta in its original container (still sealed) in one container and the 3 eggs in their shell in the other. Leave them in the hot water for about 10-15 minutes.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease it with butter for easy removal of the cake.
- Mix Sugar and Lemon Zest: In a stand mixer (or large bowl and using an electric mixer, whisk or your hands), mix 1 1/2 cups sugarwith 2 tablespoons lemon zest two minutes to help release the lemon oil and flavor into the sugar.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: Add 15 ounces whole milk ricotta, 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp lemon extract(see note below) to the sugar. Mix until fully combined. Add 3 eggs (at room temperature), one at a time, and whisk together until smooth and fully combined into the batter. Do not overmix.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon saltfor about a minute until evenly mixed.
- Mix Together: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, whisking until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Once you can no longer see specs of flour or big lumps in the batter, that’s when you know you’re done mixing.
- Bake: Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Oven temperatures can vary, so it's good to check on the cake a bit before the 35-minute mark, too. When ready, the cake will have browned edges and will have a light yellow, lightly golden color on top. Once the toothpick comes out with a few crumbs on it, don't wait for the cake to turn fully golden brown – it may be ready before then. Remove the cake from the pan and allow to fully cool down on a wire rack before frosting with our Creamy Lemon Buttercream. You may store the cake in the fridge after cooling until ready to frost if needed.
Notes
Storage:
You can store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The texture of this cake changes after a day in the fridge. It will be even more moist and flavorful the next day, so this is a great cake to make ahead! We love being able to make the cake and frosting ahead of time so there’s less pressure on the day the cake is being served. All components can be cooled in the fridge until ready to assemble and serve. Tips:
You can store any leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The texture of this cake changes after a day in the fridge. It will be even more moist and flavorful the next day, so this is a great cake to make ahead! We love being able to make the cake and frosting ahead of time so there’s less pressure on the day the cake is being served. All components can be cooled in the fridge until ready to assemble and serve. Tips:
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- Start with room temperature ricotta and eggs. This guarantees the cake batter will be mixed evenly and not break. It’s easy to do this by soaking the containers of ricotta and eggs in their shell in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes.
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- Making lemon sugar. It’s a key step and secret to why this cake is so flavorful. Rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar infuses the sugar with the natural essential oils to make the base of this cake extra lemony.
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- Do not over-mix the cake batter. You want to let the mixer combine the ingredients until you barely see any streaks of flour remain. If you over work the cake batter, the cake may split and will not be as light and fluffy as desired.
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- Use the toothpick test to check if the cake has finished baking. Just insert the toothpick into the center of the cake and if it releases with just a couple of crumbs, then you know it’s ready. It may not be a dark golden brown, and that’s ok.
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- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting. This is key when icing any cake or cupcake. If you ice the cake warm, then the frosting will melt and go everywhere.
Made this last week. And the frosting. So easy and yummy. Hubby loved. A friend of mine wanted the recipe. I posted a photo on my Instagram too. @PamelaEnglishRealtor.
Thank you, Pamela! Love hearing that you all loved it. I appreciate you coming back to share your experience.
-Dee
I wasn’t sure where to add the lemon sugar ? With the wet ir the dry ? It’s in the oven hope it turns out.
Thank you so much for calling that out! I clarified the language to help. How did the cake turn out for you?
-Dee
I sent this recipe to my mom a few weeks ago asking her to make it for my birthday! She was able to make it gluten-free, but followed the recipe! It was hands-down the best cake I’ve had! The texture was so moist and it was bursting with flavor! I almost couldn’t believe how yummy it was and I can’t wait to try out more of her recipes! 10 out of 10!
Thank you so much! This is such a lovely review. Made me so happy to hear. Happy birthday! I hope you have an incredible year ahead.
-Dee