Jump to Recipe Add Me as a Google Trusted Source

My lemon ricotta cake is SO moist and has the perfect amount of tangy lemon flavor. This easy recipe only requires one bowl.

a slice of lemon ricotta cake topped with powdered sugar and a slice of lemon.

I love using ricotta is desserts because it adds both richness and moisture. We've previously shared lemon ricotta cookies, zeppole, cannoli cake, and cannoli cheesecake. I think lemon ricotta cake is my best yet! It's tender and rich without being heavy. It's great for dessert and I'm not above grabbing a slice for breakfast. Enjoy with an espresso.

Why Our Recipes Is the Best: A Sprinkle of Food Science

We Combine Our and Lemon Zest: Just like a sugar scrub in the shower the sugar acts as an abrasive and releases the flavorful oils inside the lemon peel. This gives a stronger lemon flavor and aroma.
We Use Full Fat Ricotta: This helps keep the cake moist and tender. It also thickens the batter without any excess flour.
We Use a Small Amount of Baking Soda: We use enough to cause the lemon juice and baking soda to react to create rise, but not enough to make the cake overly brown.

Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips

Ricotta: For the best results use whole milk full fat ricotta. Low fat versions can make the batter watery. If your ricotta looks particularly loose or watery drain in a colander lined with cheesecloth or heavy duty paper towels for 20-30 minutes.
Butter: I like using unsalted butter as salt levels vary by brand. Make sure it is fully softened. It should be soft enough so you can easily make a dent with your finger but not melted or greasy.
Lemon: Look for lemons that are give to gentle pressure and feel heavy for their size. Be sure to scrub the wax off using a potato brush. Or grab organic lemons which are usually not waxed.
- When zesting avoid the bitter white pith below the lemon peel.
Flour: Measure your flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling with a knife Avoid scooping it from the bag or cannister as you may use too much leading to a dry cake.
Vanilla: Our homemade vanilla works great here!

Krystle's Troubleshooting Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets

Cake Is Gummy Or Tough: This is usually caused by overmixing. Mix until the flour just disappears.
Batter Is Lumpy: Bring both eggs and ricotta to room temperature to help the batter come together smoothly. 30-60 minutes at room temp will do the trick.
Batter Is Watery: Drain ricotta if it looks particularly wet.
Cake Cracks: This is usually due to the oven temperature being too high which causes the outside to overcook before the center is cooked through. If this happens often test your oven with an oven thermometer to see if it may be off.
Cake Becomes Overly Brown: Use a light metal pan which reflects heat which causes the cake to bake evenly. A dark metal pan absorbs more heat which can causes the edges to darken.