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 it’s the fresh lemons and creamy ricotta that changes everything. It creates a dense cake, with an enviable texture – not too wet but not dry.
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
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 140 grams (1 cup) plain flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 250 grams (1 cup) ricotta
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) 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 tin 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 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.
Deb says
Made it using my square silicone baking pan because it was the closest to the 8” round one required
It turned out delicious! I would be keen to try it in a porcelain soufflé 8” round dish next time.
Thank you- great recipe!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed it Deb!
Juan says
Thanks for the recipe. I tried it with 100 grams of sugar, that was sufficient level of sweetness for my taste. Although I think I will make it again with double (or triple?) the amount lemon!
Jessica Holmes says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Juan says
I did! I was thinking why my cake was barely lemony and then I realized that “tablespoon” is probably a unit of measurement (15 ml in US, 20 in Australia, etc.). However, I used my actual kitchen tablespoons, which I just measured at just 6 ml! I am really new to baking…
I will be making many more of your cakes on the following weeks. 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Ah yes that’s right – definitely try adding more lemon next time.
Kaitlyn says
So good!! The perfect amount of lemon, can’t wait to make this again!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Kaitlyn!
Lee says
Do we refrigerate the cake or it can stay in room temp ?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Lee, keep this one in the fridge if you can!
Isa says
Yes I e made it twice now about to taste the second one, hubbie just loved it not too sweet and just right thank you.
Jessica Holmes says
So pleased to hear that Isa!
Sarbjit says
Hi Jess
Could this cake be made without eggs?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I haven’t tested this recipe without eggs but consider them to be an important ingredient.
Sarbjit says
Hi
Could you tell me whether this cake can be made without eggs?
Thank you
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, this recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
Chrissi says
I came across this recipe looking for a use for some left over ricotta. Perfect! A simple little cake. Realized I had no lemons. Limes, grapefruit and oranges? Sure. No lemons. Well, I made it with 2T orange zest and it was incredible. Perfect breakfast this morning. Such a moist delicious cake I plan on making again when I have lemons. Might add a few blueberries in this time.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear it worked well for you Chrissi – love the idea of using oranges!
Alison Tutt says
Hi there, I’m going to make this cake for the first time for a dinner party. You say you cake make it ahead of time. So if I made it a day early, what is the best way to store it ?
Jessica Holmes says
Excited you are going to try this cake Alison! You can store the cake in the fridge.
Michelle H says
Simple to make & came out lovely using your tips. This is going into my permanent recipe stash!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that Michelle!
Rosa Delgado says
I only have a 9″ round pan. Can I use an 8″ square plan?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes you can! Or you can use your 9 inch pan, the cake will just be larger and thinner and therefore cook a bit faster.
Rosa says
Thank you. I’m looking forward to making this. It looks delicious.
Sarah Buggie says
Would you reccomend doubling this recipe if using a 9×13 pan?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sarah, yes I would!
Yvonne says
Hi, some recipes say to stain the ricotta. Did you do that with this recipe? I’ve been asked to make an Italian themed cake and though this would be a good base.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Yvonne, the ricotta I usually use is store-bought kind and doesn’t have much liquid. If there is excess liquid, then yes, give it a quick strain and just use 1 cup of the actual ricotta.
melanie Purser says
could I exchange the lemons for oranges successfully in this recipe?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Melanie, I haven’t tried myself but I don’t see why not!
Sue says
Could you please tell me if it is important to use fresh ricotta or will cartons do as well? I am looking forward to trying this.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sue, storebought ricotta in a carton should be fine!
Susan says
Made this cake for the first time. I had to add 10 mins to the baking time. Presentation is beautiful . Love that it is not super sweet and the dusting of icing sugar really boosts it without overpowering it.
Very Italian.
Would definitely make again.
Jessica Holmes says
So happy to hear that Susan! Thank you for the lovely feedback!