You’ll love this buttery and moist Lemon Ricotta Cake made with fresh lemons. Dusted with powdered sugar and topped with mascarpone cream and raspberries, it’s the perfect lemon dessert.
Lemon + ricotta = a match made in heaven 💕
It takes a lot for me to steer away from chocolate-covered desserts, but if there’s one dessert that can make me do it, it’s this gorgeous Lemon Ricotta Cake.
With a soft, buttery texture and a rich lemon flavour, it’s my new go-to dessert.
I’m proud of this cake. It took me a little while to get it just right but it has made me fall more and more in love with lemon desserts.
Not only is it lovely and sweet, but it’s very simple to make too.
You only need a handful of ingredients, but the fresh lemons and creamy ricotta change everything. It creates a dense cake, with an enviable texture – not too wet but not dry.
Just like in my Lemon Ricotta Cookies, I recommend using a tub of full fat store-bought ricotta.
To serve, you can simply dust the cake with powdered sugar, add a few fresh berries and a generous dollop of mascarpone cream. Heaven.
While I’ll always love a good chocolate cake or a slice of peanut butter cheesecake, this lovely Lemon Ricotta Cake is now on serious rotation in my house.
It’s also the perfect dessert for entertaining because you can easily make it ahead of time. In fact, it might even be nicer on day two.
Tips for making Ricotta Cake
- This cake has the tendency to stick to the pan, so make sure you grease the sides of your cake tin well with butter and line the bottom with baking or parchment paper.
- Adding fresh lemon juice means the cake batter might look a little curdled, but it’s totally fine.
- This cake is moist and dense, so it won’t rise as much as a regular cake. You can tell it’s ready by inserting a skewer into the centre, it should come out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the cake tin as it will be quite fragile when warm.
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Let’s Bake
Lemon Ricotta Cake
A moist and dense Lemon Ricotta Cake made with fresh lemons.
Ingredients
Lemon ricotta cake
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 250 grams (1 cup) store bought ricotta
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat or whole milk
Mascarpone cream
- 240 ml (1 cup) thickened or heavy cream
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) mascarpone
- Icing sugar or powdered sugar, to serve
- Fresh raspberries, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment or baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, baking powder and ricotta and beat on a low speed. Add milk and beat briefly until combined. Cake batter may be lumpy and curdled but this is totally fine.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and place in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave cake to cool completely in cake pan.
- Add cream and mascarpone to a mixing bowl and beat using an electric mixer for a couple of minutes or until thickened.
- To serve, dust cake with icing sugar. Cut into small slices and serve with mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries.
Linda says
Can I make this recipe using lemon curd? What substitutions do I need to make? Thanks.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried this recipe with lemon curd I’m sorry. I recommend trying it as is if you can! It would be divine served with a dollop of lemon curd though!
Terry says
I don’t have an electric mixer and made this using hand mixing and a wisk, and may have undercooked it a little, but it was delicious and easy to make.
★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Terry.
Barbara says
The recipe sounds wonderful! Does it freeze well? Thanks
Jessica Holmes says
Yes you can!
Lara says
Fab recipe. One of my favourites. I add 2 lots of ricotta, no milk, replace flour with rice flour. Makes a wonderful cheesecake.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Oh wow, sounds amazing Lara!
Janet says
Have made twice over Christmas. Really delicious and easy to make
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so happy to hear that Janet!
Plamena says
I normally make chocolate ricotta cake every time i have ricotta but decided to have this one a go and oh my word it was fantastic! Thank you for the recipe, it will definitely become one of our family’s firm favourites!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Ohh love hearing that! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ann Guillermo says
Absolutely one of the most popular things I bake! The recipe is perfect as is… my teen son has even learned to make it on his own because he loves it so much.
I do add extra zest because we like a stronger lemon flavor. Highly recommended recipe!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Aww that makes me so happy to hear that Ann! Thank you for your very kind review!
Sonja says
Hi Can I substitute the flour for Almond flour ?
Seems a straight forward recipe to make the swap …..
Just love a lemony cake 🍰
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sonja, I haven’t tried this one with almond flour before so I can’t say. If you do try it, let me know how you go!
Jade says
First time I made it it was delicious, looked exactly as picture fluffy and moist. Any time I’ve tried it after that it’s not fluffy it’s dense and wet, I am following recipe to a t not sure what is going wrong… 😔
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jade, did you make any changes compared to the first time? A different ricotta maybe? Or perhaps you just slightly under baked it the second time?
Jade says
The same ricotta! Do you think I should bake it longer? I will give it another try, or perhaps is there a ricotta brand you recommend?
Jessica Holmes says
You could try that if you felt it was a bit undercooked the second time? I usually use Perfect Italiano ricotta in the tub.
Elif says
This is my favourite lemon cake recipe! I have made this to many of my guests in summer and everyone loved it. It looks so beautiful with final addition of fresh raspberries and caster sugar.
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad to hear that Elif! Thank you for the lovely feedback.
Sue says
I made this today WOW absolutely everything I dreamed of and more it was so damn good ! I doubled the ricotta !!!
I also made a lemon curd to go with it absolute heaven thanks for such a wonderful recipe
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you loved it Sue! Ohh yes, it would be amazing served with lemon curd!
Nessa says
Twas delicious! I needed a fresher lemon but that’s a me problem. The recipe was very easy to follow and putting it together took like no time at all
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Fabulous! So glad you enjoyed it Nessa!
Virginia (Brooklyn. NY) says
Eventhough I used half ricotta and half milk/regular sugar/nine inch pan, the cake was delicious. Not too sweet/perfect lemony taste.
I use the 1/4 cup too.
Thank you.
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Virginia!