This unfussy Lemon Ricotta Cake is just the type of treat you want on the regular - simple, tender and just sweet enough to satisfy your sugar cravings.
Add eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and juice and beat until combined. Pour in flour mixture and stir until just combined. Batter will be thick.
2 large eggs,, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, Zest from two large lemons
Scrape batter into prepared pan and level with offset spreader or back of spoon. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove from pan and finish cooling on baking rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Powdered sugar,
Notes
Take your butter, eggs and ricotta out of the refrigerator an hour before you bake this cake. Room temperature ingredients blend together much more easily than cold ingredients. Don't skimp on the beating times! Ricotta cheese is dense, so you need to whip it into the batter for several minutes to get a light and fluffy cake. You can also make this recipe in a 9" cake pan if that's all you have. It won't be quite as tall but will still taste great. Check for doneness at least 10 minutes earlier if you use a larger pan and add more baking time if needed. Want to make lining your cake pans a snap? Use these precut parchment rounds. They are inexpensive and have handles to easily lift the baked cake out of the pan. A serrated knife makes the cleanest cuts in this tender cake.Store the cooled cake loosely covered on the countertop. This cake tends to dry out in the fridge.I eat this cake plain but you can also dust it with powdered sugar or add a dollop of whipped cream and berries before serving, if you like.