Lemon Ricotta Cake

lemon ricotta cake, on a wooden board with two slices cut from the end of the loaf

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4.80 from 15 votes

A golden-hued, dense cake that's somewhere between a regular cake and a cheesecake, this is a family favorite.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Morning Tea

Cuisine: American, Australian, Western

Keyword: chocolate ricotta cake, lemon ricotta cake, steam oven ricotta cake

Servings:

Calories: 392kcal

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar caster sugar (I have used both regular white and golden/raw caster sugar with equally good results)
3 eggs
2 lemons zest and juice
1 lb ricotta cheese firm, broken into 3-4 large chunks
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour plain flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180˚C/350˚F on combination steam setting. If your oven has variable steam levels, 80% steam will work here. If not, don’t worry! Just set to combi steam at the correct temperature and the oven will figure out the humidity. Grease and line a loaf tin with baking paper so it comes up above the long sides (this will help you lift it out after cooking).
Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a bowl to combine, and set aside. I’m generally opposed to sifting my dry ingredients (read: too lazy), but you can do this if you wish.
Cream the butter, salt and sugar on medium speed in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition.
Mix in the lemon zest and juice on low speed, then add the ricotta and mix briefly (try not to mix it so the ricotta is completely smooth). The mixture will probably curdle when you put the lemon in – don’t worry, it’ll come back together later.
Gently mix in the flour and baking powder until combined. It won’t be completely smooth because of the ricotta but try not to leave any big clumps of flour.
Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until it’s golden brown, puffed and tests clean with a skewer. Remove from oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then remove using the baking paper and cool completely on a wire rack.
Serve barely warm or at room temperature with thick cream or yoghurt. The cake will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge and leftovers can be reheated in the steam oven at 120˚C/combination steam.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found at food.com
A little note about ricotta cheese: I usually buy mine cut from the wheel at an Italian deli - if you are buying it in a tub, get 500g and drain it in a fine-meshed strainer for a few hours in the fridge before using. Don’t, whatever you do, use ‘smooth’ or ‘light’ ricotta here, it will affect the texture of the finished cake.
Also, you’ll notice the cake puffs and rises in the oven, only to sink flat again once you take it out. That is completely normal for this recipe and doesn’t mean it’s a failure!

Nutrition