Top down view of baked and cut Lemon Ricotta Cake topped with a Creamy Lemon Buttercream Frosting, topped with lemon zest garnish.

Lemon Ricotta Cake with Lemon Buttercream Frosting


This incredibly moist lemon, ricotta cake, topped with a creamy Lemon Buttercream Frosting is delicious and easy to make. An amazingly moist cake with just the right amount of lemon.

A corner slice of Lemon Ricotta Cake topped with Creamy Lemon Buttercream frosting being held by hand with the remaining frosted cake in the bake ground.

Moist Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe with Easy Lemon Buttercream Frosting

This incredibly moist lemon ricotta cake is refreshingly delicious and easy to make. The lemon zest & juice gives this the perfect lemony flavor and it goes perfectly with our Creamy Lemon Buttercream Frosting! A great make ahead dessert that you can quickly add frosting to right before serving.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

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 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: In a separate bowl combine 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). 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

This lemon cake recipe and Creamy Lemon Buttercream Frosting are all designed to complement each other. I highly recommend having them all together. 
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!
I 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.
Enjoy!

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