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Home » Recipes

Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake – Italian Dessert

Published: Dec 10, 2018 · Modified: Sep 1, 2021 by Angela Allison · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Moist and delicious glazed Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake is the perfect dessert to serve at your next brunch or dinner. Full of flavor, this cake can be made up to 3 days in advance. Glaze with limoncello and sprinkle with Paradise Lemon Peel.

Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake with paradise candied lemon peel on top

This light and flavorful Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake will definitely become one of your favorite Italian desserts. Because of the creamy ricotta, this cake stays super moist and airy.

When I first tried this cake, I couldn’t believe the flavor. I’ve never been a huge lemon dessert fan, but this cake is the exception. It is truly the perfect balance of sweetness with a hint of delicious lemon flavor.

If you love lemon, be sure to try my Soft Lemon Cookies made with lemon and olive oil!

Incorporate Paradise Lemon Peel

Moreover, incorporate Paradise Diced Lemon Peel to this delicious dessert to add a sweet lemony bite. Sprinkle on top for a beautiful finish.

Paradise Candied Lemon Peel

How to Make Lemon Ricotta Cake

If you have a stand up mixer, this is a great time to pull it out! Otherwise, a handheld mixer works well. First, you want to butter and flour a bundt pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Second, cream together the butter and sugar. Then add the ricotta and cream until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Incorporate in the eggs, vanilla, lemon peel and zest. Sift the dry ingredients and add those in. Fold in the candied lemon peel. Pour in prepared pan.

 cake batter in prepared cake pan

Bake for 40-45 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.

lemon ricotta bundt cake

For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until desired consistency is reached. Pour over the bundt cake and sprinkle on candied lemon peel. Serve warm or refrigerate for up to three days.

lemon ricotta bundt cake with candied lemon peel

Tips for Making Lemon Cake

  • Be sure to cream together the ricotta, butter, and sugar well so that you get an airy and fluffy cake.
  • You could also use this recipe to make a layer cake by dividing the batter between two cake pans and reducing the baking time.
  • Poke holes in the cake using a wooden skewer before pouring on the glaze.
  • For thinner glaze, add more water or lemon juice. For thicker, add less.
  • Substitute the lemon in the glaze for limoncello liquor if serving this for adults.

Looking for more delicious and easy cake recipes? Don’t miss Chocolate Toffee Caramel Cake or Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake.

Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake with paradise candied lemon peel on top

Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake

Super moist, this is the perfect cake to entertain with. 
4.92 from 58 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Resting Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 306kcal
Author: Angela Allison

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup butter, softened (1 ½ sticks)
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup Candied Lemon Peel like Paradise

Lemon Glaze

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice add more or less for consistency
  • Candied Lemon Peel for decorating

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt cake pan and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl or stand up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the ricotta and blend until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, incorporating well. Mix in the vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. 
  • Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches. Fold in the candied lemon peel. 
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth as needed. Bake 40-50 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pan for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
  • Make the glaze. Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add more juice or water if needed to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle the lemon glaze over the top of the cake, sprinkle with candied lemon peel, and serve. 

Notes

You can substitute the lemon in the glaze with Limoncello liquor if desired. Also, you can poke holes in the cake with a skewer so that more of the glaze seeps into the cake. Make ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 306kcal
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Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathy

    January 29, 2023 at 3:09 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was unbelievably good! My husband freaked! Only tried it because I couldn’t find my springform pan to make a ricotta cheesecake so I gave this type of cake a try. So glad I did!

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      February 02, 2023 at 5:04 am

      Yay! Thanks for the great comment Kathy! I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake 🙂

      Reply
  2. Anna

    November 26, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    4 stars
    Do you strain the ricotta?

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      December 04, 2022 at 6:17 am

      Only if it appears really wet. Otherwise, straining is not necessary.

      Reply
  3. Ruth

    July 25, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    5 stars
    Angela…
    I have been a Baker for many, many years and have won baking contests. I am 74 yrs old. I must tell you, this cake is beyond heavenly! Light, fluffy, delicious. I made it with a Limoncello Glaze baked in a Bundt pan.
    I can’t thank you enough for this magnificent recipe.
    Grazie! Gracias! Merci!

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      July 26, 2022 at 9:37 am

      Thanks for the amazing comment, Ruth! You made my day 🙂

      Reply
  4. Susan

    June 14, 2022 at 5:30 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect! Not overly sweet nor too lemony, just the right balance for this delicious moist cake.

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      June 14, 2022 at 7:25 pm

      I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Susan! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂

      Reply
  5. Cyndi

    May 15, 2022 at 1:34 pm

    5 stars
    This was a big hit. I served it with raspberries and whipped cream.

    Reply
  6. deborah coyne

    March 30, 2022 at 7:07 am

    Can this cake be made ahead and frozen and the end glazed when thawed and ready to serve?

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      March 31, 2022 at 5:58 am

      Yes. You can freeze the cake ahead of time. Then thaw it and apply glaze.

      Reply
      • Linda

        September 18, 2022 at 1:32 pm

        Did you try to make the recipe into muffins instead of a cake???

      • Angela Allison

        October 12, 2022 at 4:02 pm

        I’ve never made these into muffins, but I bet that would be delicious!

  7. Deb

    March 23, 2022 at 4:25 am

    What if I don’t have candied Lemon peel??

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      March 23, 2022 at 6:03 am

      The candied lemon peel is optional. If you don’t have it, you can just skip it altogether.

      Reply
  8. Ramona

    March 23, 2022 at 12:52 am

    If a baking recipe doesn’t specify, should you use salted or unsalted butter?

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      March 23, 2022 at 6:04 am

      unsalted butter here

      Reply
  9. Michelle

    March 13, 2022 at 4:25 pm

    4 stars
    How long do I let the cake cool before putting on the glaze?

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      March 19, 2022 at 8:34 am

      The cake has to be cooled completely. Probably about an hour.

      Reply
  10. Christine

    January 18, 2022 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    Hi I have been searching for a simple recipe that tastes good that I can make anytime that is not heavy this recipe is perfect for any time of the year thank you for the recipe

    Reply
    • Angela Allison

      January 18, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      Thanks for the comment. So happy you loved it!

      Reply
      • Amy

        April 02, 2022 at 2:39 am

        I’m curious if I could use a lemon cream cheese glaze on this successfully ? Like a layer cake with less frosting and without having to frost layers :).

      • Angela Allison

        April 02, 2022 at 5:13 am

        Yes, that would be delicious. You could also try my recipe for Limoncello Ricotta Cake. It’s similar and has a limoncello cream cheese frosting.
        https://thisdelicioushouse.com/limoncello-ricotta-cake/

  11. Kye

    September 01, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    I combined your lemon and almond ricotta cake recipes with this lemon ricotta bundt recipe by using 1/2 cup all purpose, 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup fine corn meal. Added 1.5 tsp baking powder. It was so delicious!!!

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      September 01, 2021 at 6:18 pm

      That sounds amazing! Great job!!

      Reply
      • Trish

        December 19, 2021 at 11:01 pm

        How large should the bundt pan be? 6 cup? 10? 12?
        Thanks.

      • Angela Allison

        December 20, 2021 at 9:08 am

        A standard size 10 cup bundt pan is what I use.

  12. HG Guller

    March 22, 2021 at 11:00 am

    Delicious – but no Bundt pan in my kitchen since I down-sized. I put most of the dough in a loaf pan, then split the remainder between two mini-loaf pans. I wrapped the minis for gifts. So, I have my cake and get to eat it, too!

    Reply
  13. Gigi

    February 02, 2021 at 8:21 am

    Can I use Greek yogurt instead if ricotta?

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      February 02, 2021 at 9:38 am

      Greek yogurt will give you a denser cake. Try to use ricotta if you can, or use yogurt if you are ok with the consistency.

      Reply
  14. Stacey

    February 01, 2021 at 8:03 pm

    If substituting Limoncello on cake and glaze what are the measurements?

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      February 02, 2021 at 9:37 am

      It’s a one-to-one substitution, so sub 3 tablespoons of limoncello for the lemon juice. Enjoy!

      Reply
  15. Kathy

    January 31, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe is SOOOO GOOOD!! I followed it exactly except since I couldn’t find any candied lemon peel, I made my own. It was well worth the work, because this cake is to die for!! THANK YOU for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      February 01, 2021 at 12:42 pm

      Thanks for the comment! So happy you loved the cake 🙂

      Reply
      • Kellie

        January 22, 2022 at 9:38 am

        Can you substitute lemon zest for lemon peel? If so what amount? Thanks.

      • Angela Allison

        January 22, 2022 at 10:16 am

        You can just leave out the candied lemon peel altogether

  16. MaryAnne

    November 07, 2020 at 7:27 pm

    Have you ever substituted limoncello in the batter for the lemon juice?

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      November 07, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      Yes, it’s delicious!

      Reply
  17. Linda

    October 24, 2020 at 3:17 pm

    I’ve made this as written several times and it’s delicious! Wondering if anyone has tried to reduce the sugar and if so, what did they change and how did it turn out?

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      October 25, 2020 at 7:12 am

      You could reduce the sugar by a third and be ok.

      Reply
      • Laura

        August 14, 2022 at 11:11 am

        5 stars
        Hi Angela, I love this cake. What an amazing recipe. I’d like to use this recipe for a bridal shower cake and I thought I’d ask you how I can use this recipe to create a 10 in. two layered cake. I plan to use your butter cream frosting recipe from your lemmoncello cake recipe. Any suggestions?

      • Angela Allison

        August 16, 2022 at 10:21 am

        So happy you loved the recipe! I would just double the recipe and bake in two 10-inch cake pans. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

  18. Brianna Iannone

    July 18, 2020 at 11:23 am

    5 stars
    BY FAR my favorite cake recipe! My family begs for it every party! I add about 1/2 cup of frozen wild blueberries dusted with flour to the batter and it is so delicious. Thank you for my go-to summer dessert recipe!

    Reply
    • angelakallison

      July 18, 2020 at 11:36 am

      So happy you love it! The blueberries are a perfect addition too 🙂

      Reply
    • Darlene

      May 09, 2021 at 9:03 am

      I live in a small town and all I can get is part skim ricotta. Will this work? I REALLY want to make this cake

      Reply
      • angelakallison

        May 09, 2021 at 9:04 am

        Yes! Part skim ricotta works here. Enjoy!

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Angela Allison from This Delicious House.

Hi there, I'm Angela!

I’m a wife, mother of three, and lover of simple and delicious make-ahead food!

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