This Lemon Ricotta Cake makes the perfect light dessert or afternoon tea cake. The one-bowl Ricotta Cake with Lemon has such a light and fluffy texture - it's like bitting into a cloud!
120gr (1/2 cup)Unsalted Buttersoft, at room temperature
120gr (1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon)Caster Sugar
3teaspoonLemon Zestabout 2 large lemon
60ml (1/4)Lemon Juiceabout 1 large lemon
250gr (8.75 oz or 1 cup)Full Fat Ricotta Cheeseat room temperature
3largeEggsat room temperature
1teaspoonVanilla Extract
200gr (1 1/3 cup)Plain / All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoonBaking Powder
1/2teaspoonBaking Soda
1pinchFine Table Salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven on 180'C / 350'F. Line the bottom of a 24cm / 9" Springform Pan with baking paper and lightly grease the edges.
In a large bowl (or the bowl of your mixer), cream together the Butter, Sugar and Lemon Zest on medium to medium high speed for 3 to 5 minutes (see note 1).
Add the Ricotta Cheese and mix for a couple of minutes. Add the Eggs one at the time, mixing slowly until combined. Mix in the Lemon Juice and Vanilla Extract (see note 2).
Sift in the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt. Slowly mix and stop as soon as combined to avoid overworking the batter.
Transfer into the prepared Springform Pan. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread and smooth out the batter if needed.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool down completely before removing from the pan (see note 3).
Optional: to finish the cake, dust it with a little bit of Icing Sugar and the Zest of a Lemon.
Notes
Instructions Notes:
You should get a very light, pale and fluffy texture that will create an airy crumb for the cake. You can cream and mix the ingredients by hands with a whisk if preferred but I highly recommend using a hand or stand mixer for better results. If the butter is not at room temperature or soft enough, it will be hard to cream it and you will get small chunks of un-mixed butter in the batter.
Don't worry if the batter seem to split / curdle when you add the lemon juice, it' a normal reaction. The batter will come back together when you add the dry ingredients.
The cake will be very soft when it comes out of the oven and might break if you try to move it out of the pan straight away. Make sure it is cool before removing it from the pan.