Lemon Ricotta Cake
Updated Mar 09, 2026
Lemon Ricotta Cake with ricotta, fresh lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and pantry staples baked into a soft one-bowl cake dusted with powdered sugar.
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Lemon ricotta cake with olive oil is so good!
I make this lemon ricotta cake every spring. I know lemons are technically in season during winter, but once the weather starts warming up I always start craving lemon desserts again, and this is usually the first one I bake.
This lemon ricotta cake is the kind of cake I like keeping around the house. It’s simple, mixed in one bowl, and doesn’t need frosting or anything extra. The ricotta keeps it really soft, and the lemon gives it that bright flavor that just feels right this time of year. I usually just dust the top with powdered sugar and slice it up with coffee.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Lemon Ricotta Cake Ingredients
- Lemons: You’ll need the zest and juice from about three small lemons. Zest the lemons before cutting them, so it’s easier. Rubbing the zest into the sugar helps release the lemon oils and spreads the flavor evenly through the cake. See my tips on how to zest a lemon and how to juice a lemon for the batter. No, bottled lemon juice it just won’t taste the same.
- Ricotta. Whole milk ricotta works best for this cake and gives it a really soft crumb. If your ricotta looks watery, let it drain for a few minutes so the batter doesn’t get too loose.
- Dry ingredients. All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mixing the sugar with the dry ingredients helps distribute it evenly through the batter. If needed, a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend can usually be used in place of the all-purpose flour. Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any chance of a metallic off-taste.
- Wet ingredients. Olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Olive oil keeps the cake moist and tender, but use a mild olive oil so the flavor doesn’t overpower the lemon. Let the eggs come to room temperature so they mix smoothly into the batter. If you prefer, a neutral oil like avocado oil can be used instead of olive oil.
- For serving. Powdered sugar. A light dusting on top is usually all this cake needs before slicing.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Cake
Lemon Ricotta Cake Recipe
This Lemon Ricotta Cake uses ricotta, olive oil, fresh lemon zest, and simple pantry ingredients to make a soft, tender cake finished with powdered sugar.
Video
Ingredients
- Cooking spray as needed
- 3 small lemons zest and juice, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup olive oil
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Powdered sugar for serving.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the lemon zest and sugar to a large bowl. Use your fingers to massage the zest into the sugar until it's fragrant and moist. Whisk in the lemon juice, olive oil, ricotta, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
- To the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert to remove from the pan and cool completely. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.
Notes
My Top Tip: Zest the lemon before you juice it. You’ll get the most fragrant oils from the zest if you do it before cutting the lemon.
Storage: Wrap the lemon ricotta cake tightly in plastic wrap. It’ll keep fresh at room temperature for 2–3 days. To extend its shelf life, wrap the cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, place it in an airtight container, and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: Store the lemon ricotta cake in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 419kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 230mg, Potassium: 134mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 235IU, Vitamin C: 21mg, Calcium: 146mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Recipe Variations
- Swap the citrus: This cake tastes wonderful with any citrus, so feel free to swap in lime, orange, or grapefruit. Each will bring a unique flavor to the cake.
- Add crunch: Add chopped nuts like walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. You can also add a subtle crunch by adding a tablespoon or two of poppy seeds to the cake batter.
- Top it with frosting: A dusting of powdered sugar is classic for a lemon ricotta cake, but you could also top it with homemade whipped cream, buttercream frosting, or cream cheese frosting.
Recipe Tips
- Use room-temperature eggs. Eggs from the refrigerator are harder to mix with the other cold ingredients. To quickly bring eggs to room temperature, run them under warm water for a few minutes, or let them sit in a bowl of room-temperature water while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Don’t overmix the batter. When combining the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, mix just until the batter is smooth and there are no more lumps. Overmixing cake batter can lead to a dense and tough texture.
FAQs
Why is my lemon ricotta cake dense?
You may have overmixed the batter. When you stir in the dry ingredients, make sure you mix until just combined, with no streaks of flour.
Can I use part-skim ricotta instead of whole milk ricotta?
Yes, but the cake will be slightly less rich and a bit firmer. Whole milk ricotta gives the softest texture.
Comments
So light and delicious and easy to make. I’ve made this several times for holidays or to take to friends and it is always a big hit.
Love that you bake it to share for holidays and with friends! It’s a really trusty go-to!
Hi! I love baking. You have so many nice recipes for cakes. I’m going to make the ricotta lemon cake next. I wonder if I can use farmer’s cheese (tworóg) instead of ricotta? I’ve got farmer’s cheese and lemons.
Hmm, I haven’t tried it myself but I think it might work. Please let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it!
Thanks for the recipe, Yumna! If I use butter instead of olive oil, how will consistency change and how much butter will I need in this case?
Asking because the smoking point of my virgin olive oil might not be high enough for baking temperature
Most virgin olive oils will have a smoke point of at least 390˚F so it should be fine for this recipe. A lot of the flavor of the cake comes from the olive oil so for this particular recipe I’d suggest sticking with olive oil instead of swapping for butter.
Thanks!
Can I substitute one teaspoon of vanilla extract with lemon extract?
I don’t recommend adding lemon extract since the recipe already has 3 lemons in it, I think it will be too sour. You could try leaving out the vanilla extract if you don’t have any on hand; it adds a sweetness that helps complement the lemon but I think the cake will still be good without it. If you have almond extract, that would also help balance the flavors as a substitute to the vanilla. Hope that helps!
Would adding blueberries work in this cake?
Yes, I believe it would! Sounds so good. You may need to increase the baking time due to the added moisture but I’m sure it will be worth it!
Beautiful lemon flavour, but the cake was very doughy in consistency, and it’s quite a heavy kind of cake. I like my cakes to be light and airy. This was just the exact opposite.
Still, the flavour was lovely.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Shane! I really appreciate it. If you’re looking for a lighter cake, I highly recommend you try my Olive Oil Cake recipe!
Made it earlier today and it’s so yummy! We’ve made the ‘viral’ orange blender cake and lemon blender cake before and honestly hated both of them so my husband thought this would be too similar and wasn’t too excited when he saw me making it but we were wrong and it’s so delicious! He couldn’t wait until it cooled down and cut off a piece while it was still warm haha. It’s a hit! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Yay, so happy it was a hit!! Thanks, Leia!
Can’t wait to make this.
Hope you enjoy!!
The best lemon loaf I have ever made – super moist and tender and got rave reviews from friends.
Yay, I love to hear that!!
Easy to make! I loved the taste. I will make it again – it’s a “pretty” addition to a brunch table even a bridal shower. I feel like it is a better alternative to lemon bars. My cake kind of sank a bit. I also had it baking for about 10 min over the suggested time. It got a little too brown (burnt) on the sides and I still am not sure it baked all the way. Definitely could be “baker” error. I had my 4-yr-old granddaughter as my sous chef. The texture was a bit like a lemon bar – not like cake consistency. I had to use Gluten free flour also. Again, it tasted delish.
I agree, it’s such a beautiful cake for a special celebration! So glad you liked how it tasted and love that your granddaughter helped out as sous chef, so sweet! What kind of gluten-free flour did you use? It’s possible the type of gluten-free flour lended to the lemon bar consistency.
I used Kings Arthur’s gluten free, 1 to 1. Sometimes I use Bob Mill’s 1:1 gluten free. I like these a lot and most of the time the texture stays pretty close to the real thing. I believe having my granddaughter helping – she measures the flour and stirs it in influenced the result. I loved the taste. I definitely will make it again (maybe I’ll give my sous chef the day off, lol).
Love your recipes!! BTW the Greek yogurt pancakes is requested all the time by my grandkids. I love those!!
Aww, I’m so glad your grandkids love my Greek yogurt pancakes! I agree that a 1:1 gluten-free flour shouldn’t drastically affect the recipe but it’s definitely possible the amount of flour influenced the lemon bar texture.
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