Moist & Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Loaf Cake Recipe

A moist and easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Loaf Cake Recipe that is perfect for summer and that your family will love.

After making lasagna last week I made a lemon ricotta cake using the leftover ricotta cheese and a recipe I Pinned some time ago and just rediscovered. This easy cake has a delicious lemon flavor because of the edition of the fresh zest and juice in the cake batter and in the glaze. It is a fresh, tart and dense cake, more like a pound cake recipe than a cake with a fluffy texture. If you like lemon desserts you are going to love this Moist & Easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Loaf Cake Recipe.

This lemon cake is perfect  to serve on a summer night with fresh berries and a little whipped cream or even no-churn vanilla ice cream. If you don’t have ricotta cheese try this lemon blueberry loaf instead or this lemon loaf with lemon drizzle. 

Ingredients for Italian Ricotta Cake

This easy lemon ricotta cake uses simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

For Cake Batter

• 1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 12 Tbs. (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups whole-milk full fat ricotta cheese
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
• Grated zest and juice of 2 fresh lemons
• Lemon glaze or powdered sugar for dusting

Glaze Ingredients

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
• 11/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

How to Make a Delicious Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
• In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and add the whole milk ricotta cheese. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and until the mixture is combined.
• Add the vanilla extract, fresh lemon zest and fresh lemon juice and beat on medium speed until just combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and add a third of the flour mixture; mix until combined. Then add the remaining flour in two more additions, mixing until no streaks of flour remain. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake the lemon ricotta loaf until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then tip the cake out onto the wire rack and let it cool completely. Once the cake is cool, drizzle with the lemon glaze or dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Notes & FAQs

I used a bread pan with a citrus design, and had a little bit of extra batter which I used for a small 3 x 3 inch loaf. Never fill your bread pan more than 2/3 full. It will overflow. Use the remaining batter for a muffin or small loaf cake.

Are lemons good for you?

• Lemons are a good source of vitamin C
• They may help prevent kidney stones
• Aid in iron absorption
• Help boost the immune system

How do you store ricotta cake?

Wrap leftover cake with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the cake for up to 3 months.

Can I add berries to ricotta cake?

Yes, blueberries or fresh berries would be delicious.

What dessert can I make with ricotta cheese?

• cheesecake
• cupcakes
• ice cream
• pancakes
• cannoli

THAT’S ALL FOR NOW

The next time that you are looking for a simple cake to bake I hope that you try this moist lemon ricotta cake, it might just become your favorite cake!

Have a great day friends, thank you for spending part of your day with me.

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A moist and easy Italian Lemon Ricotta Loaf Cake Recipe that is perfect for summer and that your family will love.

• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 8 Servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups  granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups  whole-milk full fat ricotta cheese

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract

Grated zest and juice of 2 fresh lemons

For Lemon Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

11/2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon heavy cream

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Instructions

For Cake Batter

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients,  flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the room temperature butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and add the whole milk ricotta cheese. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and until the mixture is combined.

Add the vanilla extract, lemon zest and fresh lemon juice and beat on medium speed until just combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low speed and add a third of the flour mixture; mix until combined. Then add the remaining flour in two more additions, mixing until no streaks of flour remain. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake the lemon ricotta loaf until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Then tip the cake out onto the wire rack and let it cool completely. Once the cake is cool, drizzle with the lemon glaze or dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar

For Lemon Glaze

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream in a bowl and mix until smooth.

Notes

I used a bread pan with a citrus design, and had a little bit of extra batter which I used for a small 3 x 3 inch loaf.

Never fill your bread pan more than 2/3 full. It will overflow. Use the remaining batter for a muffin or small loaf.

Original Recipe from Williams Sonoma

• Author: Elizabeth
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 50-55 minutes
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Italian