It’s all the time good to maintain a lightweight snacking cake round the home. Not like a layered cake, a snacking cake is subtly candy and gained’t trigger a sugar crash 20 minutes later. Lower a sliver for breakfast, for a day deal with or for a lightweight dessert—this lemon ricotta cake is ideal at any time.

Our lemon cake with ricotta cheese will fulfill any candy craving, and it deserves the highlight in your kitchen’s cake stand. Fluffy, mild and refreshingly citrusy, this just-sweet-enough cake makes for straightforward baking and requires solely a lightweight dusting of confectioners’ sugar for the of completion.

Lemon Ricotta Cake Components

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• All-purpose flour: Make sure to measure flour the precise means so that you’re not by chance packing an excessive amount of into the measuring cup. That can result in a dense cake, not a lightweight and fluffy one.
• Baking powder: Baking powder helps the cake rise good and tall.
• Butter: Soften your butter by taking it out of the fridge half-hour earlier than beginning the ricotta and lemon cake recipe. If you happen to want it sooner, soften the butter shortly by reducing it into cubes and gently microwaving it briefly 10-second bursts.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the ricotta and lemon cake recipe. Keep away from brown sugar, although, as its caramel and molasses notes is not going to pair nicely with the lemon and ricotta.
• Eggs: Since your eggs want to return to room temperature, take them out of the fridge if you take away the butter too.
• Ricotta: Full-fat ricotta is the way in which to go right here. Ricotta makes the cake keep good and moist whereas imparting a tangy, wealthy taste.
• Lemons: Repeat after me: Contemporary lemon juice solely! Make sure to zest the lemons first, as they’re simpler to zest after they’re intact.
• Vanilla extract: Be at liberty to make use of vanilla extract or vanilla paste on this lemon cake with ricotta cheese.
• Confectioners’ sugar: It is a no-frosting cake. As a substitute, mud it with confectioners’ sugar for a delicate sweetness.

Instructions

Step 1: Prep the pan

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and coat it with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk collectively the all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt, and set it apart.

Step 2: Make the batter

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In a big bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the softened butter and sugar on medium velocity till integrated, one to 2 minutes. Beat within the eggs, one after the other, till the batter is fluffy and pale in shade, three to 4 minutes. Scale back the mixer velocity to medium-low, and beat within the ricotta, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract till easy, two to 3 minutes.

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Slowly beat the dry components into the moist components till simply mixed.

Step 3: Bake the cake

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Pour the batter into the ready springform pan.

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Pop the pan into the oven and bake the cake till a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear, 40 to 45 minutes.

Take away the cake from the oven, and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Step 4: Mud with confectioners’ sugar

Run a knife across the outer fringe of the cake to loosen it from the springform pan, then take away the edges of the pan. Simply earlier than serving, mud the cake with confectioners’ sugar, slice it and serve.

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Recipe Variations

• Swap the citrus: This ricotta cake can tackle virtually another citrus, particularly oranges, sumo oranges or blood oranges.
• Stack right into a layered cake: If you happen to do need to flip this snacking cake right into a layered cake, slice the cake in half lengthwise and frost the layers with whipped cream, vanilla buttercream, lemon buttercream or cream cheese frosting.

Tips on how to Retailer Lemon Ricotta Cake

Retailer lemon ricotta cake in an hermetic container or a glass cake dome at room temperature for as much as three days. Or, lengthen the cake’s freshness and retailer it within the fridge for as much as 5 days.

Are you able to freeze lemon ricotta cake?

Sure, you possibly can freeze lemon ricotta cake. Let it cool to room temperature, then wrap it tightly in two layers of storage wrap. Freeze the cake for as much as two months. If you’re able to benefit from the cake once more, thaw it in a single day within the fridge.

Lemon Ricotta Cake Ideas

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What do you have to serve with lemon ricotta cake?

Apart from confectioners’ sugar, you possibly can serve ricotta cake with home made whipped cream, Greek yogurt, contemporary berries, honey, jam or a scoop of gelato. The cake is beautiful with a powerful cup of espresso or tea too. Or, an after-dinner drink, significantly limoncello, is the proper companion.

Can you employ part-skim ricotta as a substitute of full-fat?

Positive, you should utilize part-skim ricotta to make this cake, nevertheless it gained’t be as flavorful as full-fat ricotta.

What different pan can you employ to bake lemon ricotta cake?

As a substitute of a 9-inch springform pan, bake this lemon cake with ricotta cheese in an 11×7-inch baking pan, a Bundt pan or a 9-inch sq. pan, if desired.

Loading Standard within the Neighborhood

Constructed from scratch and utilizing a 100-year-old recipe, this cake makes use of easy pantry components and is moist and scrumptious. Served plain or with fruits and cream, it is a great addition to any recipe assortment. —Claudia Lamascolo, Melbourne, Florida