Lemon Ricotta Cake
A moist, tender lemon ricotta cake with a thick white lemon icing and small pieces of fresh lemon. Baked as one generous round cake and cut into 12 slices. Batch yield: One 23 cm / 9-inch round cake, cut into 12 slices. One serving: 1 iced slice, approximately 135 g after baking and cooling. Allow approximately 4 hours 55 minutes from starting to serving. Prep time is total non-oven elapsed time: 45 minutes for butter softening with setup and preheating overlapping the final 15 minutes, 20 minutes for mixing, 120 minutes for complete cake cooling, 10 minutes for icing and decorating, and 30 minutes for the icing to set. Cooling_minutes includes cake cooling and icing setting. Active work is approximately 45 minutes and is already included in these periods, not added again. Cook time is 70 minutes for one oven batch; actual baking may take 65–75 minutes. A cake that is still warm after the stated cooling period needs additional cooling before icing. Appliances: Oven; Electric hand mixer; Refrigerator; Freezer, if freezing. Equipment: 23 cm / 9-inch round springform tin, at least 7 cm deep; Baking parchment; Kitchen scales; Measuring jug and spoons; Mixing bowls; Whisk; Flexible spatula; Fine grater; Lemon juicer; Sieve; Skewer; Wire cooling rack; Knife; Chopping board; Kitchen paper; Serving plate; Foil, if needed to protect the cake during baking. Allergens: Butter and ricotta contain milk; the cake also contains eggs and wheat flour. Choose ricotta labelled suitable for vegetarians and check packaged ingredient labels for additional allergens or cross-contact warnings. Storage: Once decorated, keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days because of its moist ricotta crumb and fresh lemon topping. Keep the finished cake at room temperature for no more than 2 hours when serving. Freeze individual slices in airtight containers for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The icing and lemon pieces may soften slightly after thawing.
225 min
Prep
70 min
Cook
12
Serves
438
Calories
Macros · per serving
9g protein
62g carbs
17g fat
Ingredients
For 12 servings
- 155 g Unsalted butter, softened
- 425 g Whole-milk ricotta, suitable for vegetarians, weighed after draining any loose liquid
- 250 g Caster sugar
- 4 whole eggs Large eggs
- 300 g Plain flour
- 12 g Baking powder
- 2 g Fine salt
- 10 g Finely grated lemon zest
- 90 ml Fresh lemon juice
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 240 g Icing sugar
- 30 g Lemon flesh, peel, white pith and seeds removed
Instructions
- 1
Allow 45 minutes for softening and setup. Cut 150 g of the butter into small cubes and leave at room temperature until soft enough to indent easily but not melted. Reserve the remaining 5 g for the tin. Drain any loose liquid from the ricotta before weighing out 425 g. Let the ricotta and whole eggs lose their refrigerator chill during this same period.
- 2
During the final 15 minutes of softening, preheat the oven to 170°C conventional / 340°F, or 150°C fan / 300°F. Use the reserved 5 g butter to grease a 23 cm / 9-inch round springform tin at least 7 cm deep, then line its base and sides with baking parchment. Measure 50 ml of the lemon juice for the cake and reserve 40 ml for the icing.
- 3
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened 150 g butter, caster sugar and lemon zest for 3–4 minutes, until noticeably paler and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
- 4
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl between additions. Mix in the ricotta, vanilla and the 50 ml lemon juice on low speed until evenly combined. A slightly grainy or curdled appearance at this stage is normal.
- 5
Add the flour mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick, creamy and spoonable. Transfer all the batter, approximately 1.5 kg, to the prepared tin and level the surface.
- 6
Bake on the middle shelf for approximately 70 minutes, checking from 65 minutes and allowing up to 75 minutes if needed. The top should be golden, the centre should spring back gently, and a skewer inserted into the middle should emerge without wet batter; a few moist crumbs are fine. If the surface is getting dark before the centre is baked, loosely cover it with foil for the remaining baking time.
- 7
Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Release the springform ring, carefully remove the parchment and transfer the cake to the rack. Cool for a further 100 minutes, or until completely cool through the centre. Do not ice a warm cake.
- 8
Allow 10 minutes to finish the cake. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the reserved 40 ml lemon juice until smooth, thick and spreadable. Transfer the cooled cake to a plate and spread the icing generously over the top, nudging a little towards the edge.
- 9
Cut the prepared lemon flesh into small pieces, blot away excess juice with kitchen paper and scatter all 30 g over the wet icing. Leave for 30 minutes so the icing forms a light crust; it will remain soft underneath. Cut into 12 equal wedges with a knife.
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