Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake is a moist, Italian style snack cake perfectly accented with bright lemon zest and sweet/tart blueberries.
I’m a big fan of cakes like this lemon blueberry ricotta cake. Homey cakes that don’t take much to throw together and can be munched on any time of the day or night are my specialty. I focus on finding interesting textures and beautiful flavor combinations that tempt you to get in the kitchen and bake. This is one of those cakes easy enough to make for no reason at all ~ but special enough to share with friends and family.
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ingredient notes for lemon blueberry ricotta cake
Lemon zest, almond extract, and fresh blueberries combine for a surprisingly sophisticated flavor palette. The ricotta in the batter also makes for a super-moist and rich texture that I just can’t get enough of!
- lemon zest
- you’ll need about 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, loosely packed, for this recipe. One good sized lemon will usually do the job.
- Why is there no lemon juice in this recipe? This recipe does not contain any liquid other than the egg. And remember ~ up to 80% of lemon’s total flavor compounds are in the zest.
- fresh blueberries
- you can also use frozen berries. No need to thaw first, just fold them into the batter straight from the freezer. (Bonus points if you can find wild Maine blueberries in the frozen aisle!)
- almond extract
- pairs really nicely with the other flavors in this cake without overwhelming.
- Feel free to replace with vanilla extract if you prefer.
why I use ricotta in baking
If you’ve never baked with ricotta, it might sound kind of strange at first. Cheese? In a cake? Ricotta cakes can be traced to Southern Italy, particularly Sicily, Campania, and Puglia, where ricotta is a beloved ingredient in sweet and savory recipes. With a mild flavor and creamy texture, ricotta adds richness and body to cakes without heaviness. Try my lemon blueberry ricotta cake once and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.
RELATED: make your own ricotta cheese at home!
troubleshooting lemon blueberry ricotta cake
- I recommend baking in a spring form pan for easy removal. Moist and soft cakes like my lemon blueberry ricotta cake can sometimes be a little tricky to get out of the pan in one piece.
- Springform pans make un-molding cakes like this surprisingly easy. Just make sure that the cake has had a chance to cool and firm up a little bit and that the edges of your cake aren’t sticking to the sides before releasing the pan.
- Butter or grease the pan thoroughly! This is always the first step towards a cake that releases nicely from a pan.
- Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper. I do this almost every time I bake a cake these days. It really helps a cake release nicely and is so easy to do. You don’t need the circle to be an absolute perfect fit, I usually just eyeball it and cut it out free-hand.
- When all else fails ~ serve your cake from the pan! If you don’t have a springform pan, there’s no shame in serving it as is, from the pan.
- This is a rustic, beautiful cake—meant to be full of charm, even if it’s not perfectly smooth. The top of your lemon blueberry ricotta cake may be cracked or wrinkled ~ this look is normal! Pour yourself a cup of coffee, dust the top with powdered sugar, and enjoy every bite. 🍋🫐
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake
Lemon Blueberry Ricotta Cake is an Italian inspired breakfast cake easy enough to bake just for yourself, but special enough to share with friends!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
- 9 inch spring form pan
Ingredients
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (+ 2 Tbsp for sprinkling on top before baking)
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest (about 2 small/medium lemons)
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- a couple tablespoons powdered sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and butter your spring form pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper and lay it on the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and ricotta for 1 to 2 minutes until well mixed. Add in the eggs and mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute until smooth. Briefly mix in the almond extract, and lemon zest.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the stand mixer bowl (I do this in two batches) and mix just until the batter is almost combined, with a few white streaks of flour remaining.
- Gently fold in the blueberries, mixing just until everything is well combined, but don't over-mix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread it out so it's even. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for about 55-65 minutes. The cake should be risen and golden on top, and the center should not be wet, and you can use a toothpick to check.
- Remove and allow to partially cool in the pan before gently releasing from your springform pan. I let mine cool for about 15-20 minutes because this is a delicate cake. It can help to gently run the edge of a butter knife around the edge of the cake to help release it. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake and transfer to a wire baking rack and allow to fully cool.
- Sift powdered sugar over the top before serving, if desired.
- Leftover cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and the cake can be frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
Calories: 323 kcal · Carbohydrates: 38 g · Protein: 7 g · Fat: 17 g · Saturated Fat: 10 g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g · Trans Fat: 0.5 g · Cholesterol: 87 mg · Sodium: 142 mg · Potassium: 167 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 24 g · Vitamin A: 557 IU · Vitamin C: 2 mg · Calcium: 114 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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lemon and blueberry were meant to be
I’ve always loved lemon and blueberry together. They work beautifully together in this ricotta cake, but I’ve always felt it’s an enduring flavor combination that just feels right. Need more proof?
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I am no baker. Total rookie. I bought my first spring pan ever and made this. My family was amazed. My husband loved it so much I made a 2nd one for his side of the family. It has inspired me to try some more cakes. Thank you.
Yay! So happy to hear it, thanks for taking the time to leave the review Beth, much appreciated 🙂
Another fantastic moist coffee cake with ricotta cheese! I’m going to try next time to use regular flour and almond flour 50/50 for extra almond flavor.
Would another fruit work in this recipe? Maybe cherries? Or would cherries have too much liquid?
Well, you could chop the cherries and I think they would be delicious. Blackberries, sliced in half if large, would work, and I think raspberries would, too. Strawberries, too, come to think of it.