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Italian ricotta cake being cut

Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

Melissa
This traditional Italian lemon ricotta cake is a delicious and moist dessert perfect for breakfast or dessert. Learn how to make this Italian cake at home with this easy recipe.
5 from 2 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast, Dessert, entertaining
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10 slices
Calories 306 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 ciambella cake pan or you can use a bundt pan or a 9 inch round cake pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
  • 2 cups whole milk ricotta
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup light brown sugar packed for cake batter
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar packed for sprinkling over the cake before baking
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 lemon juice and zest Zest the rind of of 1 large lemon making sure not to scrape the white flesh part.
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon butter for greasing the pan
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
  • Prepare your cake pan by rubbing butter all around the inside of your pan then adding 1 tablespoon of flour to the pan and turning it until the flour coats all of the buttered area of the pan.
    1 tablespoon butter
  • Set your pan aside.
  • In a large bowl, sift together your flour, salt and baking powder.
    2 ¼ cup All Purpose Flour, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • In a separate bowl add your eggs and your packed brown sugar and beat with a hand or stand mixer for 3 minutes on medium speed.
    4 large eggs, ½ cup light brown sugar packed
  • Add in your lemon juice and zest and mix well.
    1 lemon juice and zest
  • Now add your ricotta cheese, olive oil and milk and mix well.
    2 cups whole milk ricotta, ¼ cup olive oil, ¾ cup whole milk
  • Next, grab the dry ingredients and add those in to your wet ingredients bowl and fold them in until it is well incorporated and there are no big lumps.
  • Pour your cake batter into your prepared cake pan.
  • Give your cake pan a few good bangs by holding it about 3 inches over your counter and letting it drop making sure your hands are guiding the cake pan so it does not fall off the counter.
  • Bang out the air bubbles 3-4 times.
  • Add brown sugar to the top of the cake by sprinkling this all around the top of the cake.
    ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
  • Place into your pre-heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
  • Let cool on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.
  • Once cooled, flip the cake out of the pan by inverting the cake over a large plate.
  • Now flip it back right side up.
  • Continue to let it cool for another 20 minutes.
  • Add powdered sugar and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 11gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 96mgSodium: 326mgPotassium: 173mgFiber: 1gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 396IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 228mgIron: 2mg
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