Name: Italian Ricotta Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 1 1/2 sticks of softened butter; 2 cups of granulated sugar; 15 ounces of whole milk ricotta cheese; 3 eggs; 2 teaspoons of vanilla (or measure with your heart); 1 lemon (zested and juiced); 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon of salt; 1 1/2 cups of flour; powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake

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Italian Ricotta Cake – a super moist, not too sweet but just sweet enough cake, with a hint of lemon, made with ricotta cheese, perfect for any occasion!

I have to be frank with you, other than in lasagna, I had never had straight ricotta cheese before. Like I’m pretty sure, I’ve never had ricotta cheese in anything other than lasagna anyway.

So, of course, I gave it a try before adding it to the batter, with the good ole pinky finger test that all good bakers do when trying something. And yes, my hands were clean. I probably wash them 37 times when I’m cooking or baking something.

Let’s just say, I will not be eating ricotta cheese with anything but lasagna or this delicious Italian Ricotta Cake. Plain ricotta cheese is NOT for me!

Italian Ricotta Cake

1 1/2 sticks of softened butter
2 cups of granulated sugar
15 ounces of whole milk ricotta cheese
3 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla (or measure with your heart)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of flour
powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cake

Grease a 9 inch springform pan with about a tablespoon of butter (you can also you crisco) and powdered sugar. Set aside until needed. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for about 1 minute. Add in the ricotta cheese and beat for 4-5 minutes until the batter becomes light and fluffy.

Mix in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add in the baking soda and salt, then the flour and make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour the batter into the greased springform pan, and lightly tap the pan to make the batter spread evenly. Or you can do this trick I learned on tiktok, where you spin the pan supper fast and it basically whips the batter to lay flat. Just be careful not to like spin it off the counter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The top of the cake should be light and golden, and the edges should have crisped up. Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before transfeering to a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

Yield: 16 servings