This recipe for lemon ricotta cake is made using a simple quick mix method. It’s moist, sweet and full of citrus flavour. Whip it up for an after-dinner dessert, or an indulgent afternoon tea treat.
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Ingredients
Method
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 22cm spring form cake pan, dust the base and sides with a little flour, tapping out excess. Line the base with a round of baking paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into a medium bowl.
Add the sugar and lemon rind to a large bowl. Using a balloon whisk, whisk until rind is dispersed through the sugar. Add the soft butter, whisk until smooth, creamy and slightly lighter in colour.
Add the ricotta and whisk until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the flour mixture then the lemon juice and olive oil, whisk until combined.
Spoon lemon ricotta cake mixture into the prepared pan and sprinkle top with almonds. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing side of the pan to cool completely. Dust lemon ricotta cake with icing sugar, and serve with thick cream, if you like.
Lemon ricotta cake tips
For a tender, delicate crumb, it’s important not to over mix the ricotta and eggs. Also, don’t be alarmed by the cake’s tendency to dip ever so slightly in the centre. It gives it a slightly rustic appearance.
How to serve this lemon cake
Serve ricotta cake with a dollop of thick cream and some extra zested lemon, if you like. A lemon zesting tool will remove thin strips of rind, as pictured above. The white pith underneath the rind is quite bitter so try to avoid grating too deeply.
Choosing your lemons
When buying your lemons, Food Director Fran Abdallaoui advises to look for lemons with a smooth and bright exterior. They should also feel heavy for their size. Store on the kitchen bench if they will be used within a few days, or refrigerate in a paper bag for up to a month in the crisper.
