I wish I could say I first had this delightful cake while sitting in a cafe on the Amalfi coast. Or that I discovered it in an old Italian cookbook at a flea market in Rome. Maybe a generous nonna slipped me the recipe after a homemade dinner in Tuscany? Sadly, no. I saw it online and in a couple of Italian cookbooks, and decided to give it a try.
No matter. It’s become my go-to cake that’s as perfect for a summer gathering as it is for a light dessert after a heavy winter meal.
The ingredients and technique are similar to other cakes: blend butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until creamy then add the dry ingredients just until they’re combined. It’s the addition of ricotta cheese, fresh lemon juice and lemon zest that makes for a moist, tender and tangy crumb that’s hard to resist. Traditionally, it’s dusted with powdered sugar. We like ours with a light drizzle of lemon glaze.
I think Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake will become one of your favorites, too. (Thanks to This Italian Kitchen for the inspiration for this recipe!)
Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
- powdered sugar (for dusting top of cake – optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease a 9-inch springform pan using butter. Dust inside of pan with powdered sugar.
- With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the ricotta cheese and blend until light and fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
- Mix in eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
- In the same bowl, stir in the baking soda and salt. Add in the flour until just combined.
- Pour the batter into a the prepared springform pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the cake is set, the top and sides are lightly browned, and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then remove the cake from the pan and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving (optional). Alternatively, make a glaze by mixing 1-1/4 cups of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and 2-3 Tablespoons of lemon juice to achieve the desired consistency.