This 5-star Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake is a delicious Italian lemon cake made with ricotta cheese and fresh lemon juice. Don’t miss this perfect dessert that’s been made and reviewed thousands of times!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: This was such a hit! My mother and grandmother said omg this takes me back to Italy! They go every summer! Thank you so much for posting this recipe it is absolutely amazing! I have lemons in my back yard, so I also made the candied lemons, and didn’t buy them! And of course all ingredients that were lemon! lol thank you
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.
If you love lemon, be sure to try my Soft Lemon Cookies made with lemon and olive oil! Or, try this classic Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake or Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake. If you love orange zest, be sure to try this Orange Ricotta Cake recipe.
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.
Looking for more delicious and easy cake recipes? Don’t miss Chocolate Toffee Caramel Cake or Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake.
You’ll Love Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake!
One bite of this moist and flavorful Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake and I guarantee it’ll become a new favorite recipe!
This is one recipe that my fans make again and again and always comment about how it’s their favorite recipe. It’s a simple recipe made with a few ingredients that’s be tested and perfected.
This lemon bundt cake is the perfect treat to have on hand for a light dessert or midday treat. I like to serve mine with a side of fresh berries and some whipped cream.
You’re going to love the bright lemony flavors of this cake and how simple it is to make, and it has the most incredible moist crumbs! The recipe comes together fast and tastes even better the next day.
So, if you’re looking for a guaranteed perfect lemon cake, give this Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake a try. You’re going to love it!
Ingredients
- Butter: use room temperature butter. Either salted butter or unsalted butter works.
- Sugar: just regular granulated sugar is needed for the batter.
- Ricotta: use whole milk ricotta cheese for lemon ricotta bundt cake. Be sure to drain the ricotta ahead of time.
- Eggs: large room temperature eggs work best.
- Vanilla: add a bit of vanilla extract for flavor. If you want an intense lemon flavor, you can add ½ teaspoon of lemon extract.
- Lemon: you’ll need the lemon zest and juice of a large organic lemon. Additional lemon juice is needed for the glaze as well as lemon slices for decorating.
- Flour: all purpose flour works best. You can also use cake flour.
- Baking Soda: make sure you are using fresh baking soda and not baking powder.
- Salt: a bit of kosher salt helps to balance the flavors.
- Powdered sugar: I like to finish this dense cake off with a simple powdered sugar lemon glaze.
- Paradise lemon peel: you can decorate the easy lemon ricotta cake with candied lemon peel for a pretty finish.
How to Make Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake
Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake is a simple dessert that’s full of flavor. Start by greasing a standard sized bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray, or you can coat it with butter and flour; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1: mix butter, sugar and ricotta
First, combine the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about two minutes.
Then add the ricotta and continue mixing until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. This step is crucial to getting a light and fluffy cake.
Step 2: add remaining wet ingredients
To the large bowl, add in the eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix until well combined.
Step 3: add in dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.
Step 4: bake and glaze
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top of the cake. Place on center rack in preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from pan.
For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice in a small bowl until desired consistency is reached. Pour over the cooled cake and sprinkle on candied lemon peel, if using.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to cream together the ricotta, butter, and sugar well so that you get an airy and fluffy cake.
- Make sure to drain the excess liquid from your ricotta cheese before using. To do so, place the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl and let is sit for about an hour.
- You could also use this recipe to make a layer cake by dividing the batter between two 8-inch cake pans and reducing the baking time.
- 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.
- Store leftover lemon ricotta bundt cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or refrigerate up to a week.
How to Strain Ricotta Cheese
Strain the ricotta cheese before making your lemon ricotta bundt cake so you end up with a light and fluffy cake.
To strain ricotta cheese, place the desired amount in a fine mesh sieve. Set the sieve over a bowl and let the excess liquid seep out. This can take about an hour or so.
If you are pressed for time, you can use a spoon to mix the ricotta in the sieve to make the process go faster. You could also blot the ricotta with a paper towel or use a spoon to remove the liquid.
More Easy Lemon Desserts!
Lemon Ricotta Bundt Cake
Equipment
- standard bundt cake pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta (drained)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice add more or less for consistency
- candied lemon peel or sliced lemon for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a standard 12-cup bundt cake pan, or spray well with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl or stand up mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the drained 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.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches.
- 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 to cool completely.
- 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 or lemon slices if using, and serve.
I made dinner (Italian Cheese Stuffed Shells) and this cake for dessert, as a thank you for 5 family members who helped me get to the Milwaukee Airport and back home from my trip to visit my sister and her husband who are “snowbirds” in Naples, FL for 4 months out of the year every year.
I was going to make the candied lemon slices but the only recipe I could find called for 3 lemons and I forgot to buy them at the grocery store so I had to leave them out of the cake and as a decoration on top of the glaze.
It turned out amazing….without the candied lemon slices. I will definitely make it again but next time I’ll buy more lemons!
What size bundt pan do you use?
Thanks!
standard 10-12 cup bundt pan
Where do I get lemon peel and candied lemon…what stores sell them.
You can get the candied lemon peel online, but you can omit it from the recipe if you don’t have it.
My cake only rose about 2 1/2 -3 inches tall. Is this normal? I whipped the ricotta and butter mixture for 5-6 minutes. Is it supposed to be this short?
The cake should be tall and fluffy. It’s hard to know for sure what went wrong. Perhaps your baking soda is old? Or maybe you didn’t drain the ricotta enough. I hope it still tasted delicious!
You may want to edit your instructions or add to the notes to strain the Ricotta if it is wet. The flavour is delicious but it turned out VERY wet… almost an uncooked consistency.
I’ll definitely be making this… It’s very reminiscent of your lemon ricotta cake, which I found on Pinterest several years ago. I make it ALL the time, and everyone goes crazy for it—especially when served with my favorite homemade blueberry sauce. This is definitely next on the agenda!! Keep those recipes coming!
Thanks so much for the kind comment, Liz! So happy you are enjoying the recipes 🙂
I love lemon desserts and really wanted to give this a try when I came across it. It turned out amazing! I didn’t use the candied lemon peel but it was still delicious! My family ate it up!
Yay! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
The best cake ever. Very easy to make and sure to please everyone! I will definitely be making this again…very soon!
Should I measure 15oz of ricotta before or after it is drained?
I always measure beforehand
There is nothing mentioned in the recipe about draining the ricotta, only here in the comments. Is this a necessary step?
Drain the ricotta if it appears wet, otherwise it’s not necessary.
I made this for my husband’s fellowship dinner tonight and he came back with not even a crumb next over. They absolutely loved it. I added an additional lemon for some extra lemon flavor and I found these sweetened dried nutty fruity lemon slices that worked perfectly. I will definitely be making this again!! Thank you!!
This was such a hit! My mother and grandmother said omg this takes me back to Italy! They go every summer! Thank you so much for posting this recipe it is absolutely amazing! I have lemons in my back yard, so I also made the candied lemons, and didn’t buy them! And of course all ingredients that were lemon! lol thank you
, thank you, thank you
Love, love, love!
Perfection!
Very moist and flavorful even without the candied lemon peel!! Will definitely make this again!
Hi Angela,
My cake collapsed when I took it out of the oven what did I do wrong? The texture is close however it still tastes nice 🥰
I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like you either didn’t drain the ricotta, or you didn’t beat the ingredients together long enough. You really need to beat the ricotta with the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. This will help ensure a fluffy and light cake. Glad to hear it still tastes great!
I don’t see any directions to drain the ricotta, can you please elaborate?
Sure! Spoon the ricotta into a fine mesh sieve and set it over a bowl. Let the ricotta drain at room temperature for an hour. You can also speed this process up by gently pressing the liquid out through the sieve using a spoon. If you have time, you can set this up and refrigerate overnight. Hope this helps!
I can’t find lemon or any other candied fruit. Do I really need to put it in this cake. I want to make it fir a church function this weekend.
The candied lemon peel is not necessary. You can just omit it from the recipe. Hope you love it!
Thank you getting back to me so quickly. I can’t wait to try it!!
I was wondering if you can make this keto. Any ideas?
Thank you.
I don’t know how to go about that, sorry.
Hi, I have a question actually two, but what’s Ricotta milk? I normally see ricotta cheese, is that the same? And the flour should be sifted or self rise flour?
Hi. You want to use ricotta cheese for this recipe. Also, the flour is unbleached all purpose flour. Hope this helps!
Any adjustments for high altitude ?- we are 9600 ft above sea level.
You may want to add about 1/4 extra flour and start checking the baking time about 5-8 minutes before the time indicated in the recipe. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes.
This cake looks amazing. Can this cake be made 3 days in advance? If so, should I freeze it or just leave it in the fridge till it’s time to serve?
You can make it ahead. Just refrigerate and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Absolutely love this cake! Unbelievably moist. Will definitely make again. Thank you
Thank you! 🙂
Could I use baked lemon ricotta from Trader Joe’s in place of the regular ricotta? If so, would I reduce the any of the lemon zest or juice?
Hi Lisa. I’ve never tried that particular ricotta. I would say taste test it and add more lemon zest if needed. Let me know how it turns out!
I made this cake for the second time in a week. My husband says it’s his favourite. It turned out even better the second time because I let the ricotta warm up to room temperature. I didn’t have lemon peel, so the first time I used candied pineapple and the next candied apricot peel. Both were delicious. We’re having Afghani friends for tea tomorrow and I’m sure they will love it. You are my favourite online baker.