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 quick and easy 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. Think of it as a cross between a creamy cheesecake and lemon cake – divine!
Served with a thick mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries, I promise this easy Ricotta Cake is a total crowd-pleaser.
Why you will love this recipe
Quick and easy: It sounds impressive, but this Lemon Ricotta Cake is surprisingly easy to make with only simply ingredients – perfect for beginners!
Lemon flavour: With lemon zest and fresh lemon juice in the cake, it’s bursting with zesty lemon goodness.
Creamy texture: The ricotta in this cake helps to create a creamy *almost* cheesecake-like texture with a very moist crumb.
Make-ahead: If you want to make this for a dinner party, you can easily make it the day before for easy entertaining.
Recipe testing
I’m proud of this Italian-inspired 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 somewhat dense cake, especially when compared to my Lemon Crumb Cake or even my Lemon Pound Cake but it has a truly tender crumb.
The texture is not too wet but not dry. It is creamy like a cheesecake, but light and fresh too.
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.
Ingredients
This Italian Lemon Cake calls for fresh lemons and storebought ricotta, but the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples.
I like to serve my cake with a simple two-ingredient mascarpone cream, but you can also just enjoy it with a simple dusting of icing sugar.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key ingredients you’ll need, including any substitutions you can make.
- Caster sugar: Caster sugar is very fine sugar often used in baking. In this recipe, granulated sugar will also work.
- Fresh lemons: You can’t substitute fresh lemons in this recipe. We will be using both the lemon zest and the juice in the cake batter.
- Plain flour: You’ll need plain flour or all purpose flour.
- Ricotta cheese: I used Perfect Italiano Original Ricotta in this recipe. Most storebought full fat ricotta should work. If you use fresh ricotta cheese, you may just need to drain it first.
- Milk: You don’t need buttermilk for this recipe, just regular whole or full fat milk works perfectly.
- Icing sugar: Icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar, is what you’ll need just to decorate the cake.
- Thickened cream: You’ll need thickened cream or heavy cream for the mascarpone cream. Cream can have different names in different countries but look for a high-fat cream (at least 35% fat) that says it is suitable for whipping.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Lemon Ricotta Cake
This easy Lemon Ricotta Cake is surprisingly easy to make. You will need an electric mixer, either a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Here’s a quick overview of how to make it but the full instructions are included in the recipe below.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy.
Step 2: Add eggs, one at a time, beating briefly just to combine. It’s ok if your mixture looks a bit lumpy here.
Step 3: Add lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, baking powder and ricotta and beat on a low speed.
Step 4: Add milk and beat briefly until combined. Cake batter will be thick and creamy.
Step 5: Transfer cake batter to a prepared cake pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.
Step 6: Leave cake to cool completely on a wire rack.
Step 7: In a large bowl, add mascarpone and thickened cream. Mix on medium speed until thick and creamy.
Step 8: Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and serve with mascarpone cream.
Tips for making Ricotta Cake
- Grease and line: Classic Lemon Ricotta Cake has the tendency to stick to the pan, so make sure you grease your cake pan well and line the bottom AND the sides with baking or parchment paper. You could also use a springform pan if you like.
- Batter may curdle: Adding fresh lemon juice means the cake batter might look a little curdled, but it’s totally fine.
- Expect a limited rise: 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 to cool: Leave the cake to cool completely in the cake tin as it will be quite fragile when warm. Serve cooled cake with mascarpone cream and fresh raspberries for the perfect dessert.
Frequently asked questions
You can serve this cake at room temperature or cold from the fridge. I personally love to serve it at room temperature with mascarpone cream or freshly whipped cream and a handful of fresh berries.
Yes absolutely! You can swap the lemon zest and lemon juice in this recipe for orange zest and juice.
Yes, you can fold a few fresh raspberries or blueberries into the cake batter right before baking. If you want to use frozen berries, add them frozen – do not thaw first.
More lemon recipes
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Let’s Bake
Lemon Ricotta Cake recipe
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 2 lemons
- 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 (see notes)
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) mascarpone
- Icing sugar or powdered sugar, optional, to serve
- Fresh raspberries, optional, 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.
Notes
Ricotta cheese: I used Perfect Italiano Original Ricotta in this recipe. Most storebought full fat ricotta should work. If you use fresh ricotta cheese, you may just need to drain it first.
Icing sugar: Icing sugar, also known as powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar, is used to decorate the cake.
Thickened cream: You’ll need thickened cream or heavy cream for the mascarpone cream. Cream can have different names in different countries but look for a high-fat cream (at least 35% fat) that says it is suitable for whipping.
Mascarpone cream: If you don’t have access to mascarpone cream, you can simply leave it out and decorate the cake with whipped cream.
Storage: Keep leftover Lemon Ricotta Cake in an airtight container in the fridge. You can bring it to room temperature to serve.
Make-ahead: You can freeze the cake. Wrap it carefully in plastic wrap and keep it in an airtight container.
Julie Lawrence says
Can you use GF flour ?
Thanks 😊
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Julie, I haven’t tested this cake with gluten free flour so I can’t say. It does react differently to regular flour though so it may result in a different texture. If you do try it, let me know how it goes!
Yelena K says
hi! I am an immature baker (quarantined baker) and Ive been really into making ricotta deserts lately. am SUPER eager to try your recipe! I’ve made an almond ricotta cake last night after making raspberry ricotta cake earlier in the week. I have a question for an experienced baker like you, because it drives me insane why my baked goods turn out differently every time.
I did notice one recipe told me to whip the ricotta butter and sugar for five minutes, then adding the flour mixture and beating that in as well. My cake turned out more dense than when I mildly whipped the ricotta and folded in the flour mixture rather than mixing it for my raspberry ricotta cake.
Do you suggest not whipping the ricotta so much? In your recipe you mix the flour mixture rather than folding it, but at a low speed. Is that so the cake is lighter?
Also, your sides are absolutely perfect! Mine for some reason cave in from time to time. Do you know why that might be happening?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I hope you enjoy this recipe! Yes I recommend mixing on a low speed to prevent over mixing and to keep the cake soft and moist.
Shaunie says
Hello can you freeze portions of this cake as it’s only for my 2 children so will only need 6 portions over the 3 days.
Jessica Holmes says
Yes absolutely!
Kendall says
I was really excited to make this. It looks like your picture but it’s a very dense cake. It’s cooked through but almost squidgy..strange texture. Could my ricotta have been to wet? I have pictures but cannot post them on here
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Kendall, yes it’s a dense and moist cake! It’s shouldn’t be wet though, perhaps it’s a little under baked? You can send me a photo if you like and want to troubleshoot further – hello@sweetestmenu.com
Alan says
I had to cook longer, 45 to 50 mins
Before skewer was clean.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Alan, that’s ok, every oven is different so always just use oven times as a guide. Hope you enjoyed it!
Ruzica says
Omg, that cake turned out absolutely beautiful and the best tasting I ever made in my life.
I used whole meal flour and it’s given it a little more texture,,just love love, thank you.
Jessica Holmes says
Aww that makes me so happy! Thank you for your lovely feedback!!
Julie says
Delicious cake, the only thing is your recipe was missing salt so I added a half teaspoon and that made it perfect. I actually did add a little more lemon juice because I love a very lemony cake so it was more like 4 tablespoons but absolutely delicious
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Julie!
Jazz says
Amazing cake!!
Love the taste and consistency…
I put the oven at 340 instead of 350F, because the previous cakes I’ve made were burnt.
But this one I should have followed your instructions. Because of my mistake, the cake was underdone in the middle.
I am going to bake the next one at 350F and it will be perfect! Thanks for this recipe
Jessica Holmes says
Aww so glad you like it Jazz! Thank you for your kind feedback!
Tish says
Absolutely devine!
I made exactly as recipe but with thermomix
Place the butter, vanilla and sugar into the TM bowl. Mix on Speed 4 for 20 seconds, scrape down the bowl and repeat for a further 20 seconds. Should look pale and creamy.
Reduce to Speed 2 and leave running while addIng the eggs through the MC hole – 1 at a time. – approx 2 mins.
Add lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, baking powder and ricotta on speed 2 -3 until mixed.
Add the milk speed 3, 10 seconds- just combined.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Tish!
Tish says
Thank you! Also my friend also made with strawberries instead of lemon and also turned out great!!
Jessica Holmes says
Oh I love that idea!
Llsa Cummings says
So light and refreshing and easy to make!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Lisa!
Claire says
Hi Jess, I made this to use up some ricotta and the texture is very odd – like pudding rather than cake! I followed the recipe exactly except for substituting demerera sugar for caster as I had none. I had to cook it for 45 mins before a skewer came out clean. Any ideas where it might’ve gone wrong?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Claire, oh I’m sorry to hear that. The demerara sugar may have made a difference since it has a molasses in it. Or it could be due to the type or brand of ricotta you used? This cake is more moist than a regular cake but shouldn’t be like pudding.
Alex says
Can you make this the day before or best on the day?
Jessica Holmes says
It’s fine to make it the day before Alex, you can store it in the fridge.
Phil says
Your recipe says 140g (1 cup) plain flour, which is correct?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes?
Elspeth Zemla says
Hi there, could this recipe be frozen once baked and cooled, if so for how long
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Elspeth, I haven’t tried it myself (it always gets eaten too fast) but I think it would be fine!
Jo says
Lovely cake, served with crème fraîche and raspberries.. Everyone wanted the recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
I love hearing that! Thanks Jo!